You Don't Know Me
by AstringentSaccharine
Summary: "I'm not mad," I laughed. "I'm f@cking thrilled!" I added sarcastically. "I know you Rich," Leah began say, "No Leah," I cut her off. "You don't." It felt like my whole entire world had just came down crashing all around me. She was marrying Sam. "You don't know me at all." She was my best friend and didn't even know my best-kept secret; I was hopelessly in love with her. Leah/OC
1. Chapter 1

**You Don't Know Me (Leah OC Story) is a companion piece to If You're Not One: Embry and Sam's father Joshua Uley returned to La Push an extremely wealthy man when Embry was 11 and Sam was 15, however the two grew up always knowing they were brothers and seemingly got along, so when Embry phased, it didn't shock the Elders or the other pack members. **

**Warning: This story is rated M for a reason. There are discussions of drug abuse and other mature matters.**

**Pictures of characters and places are up on my profile, Under If You're Not The One and You Don't Know Me**

**Current Ages: **

Sam, Leah, Emily and Rachel are 23.

Bella is 21.

Embry, Jacob, Quil, Jared, Kim and Paul are 19.

Seth and Claire are 17.

Brady and Collin are 15.

**Current AU Imprint: **

Collin - Bree Biers: Formerly Known as Bree Tanner adopted by Riley Bier's parents.

(Newborn army was never created; thus keeping Riley and Bree human)

****Beta'd by the awesome and talented Sparkling-Iris and oh-so-very amazing Aretee!****

**Chapter 1: Big News**

**Leah POV **

We were having our weekly meeting as usual at Embry and Sam's dad's house. His father designed the perfect entertainment room. Price was no object when it came to Joshua Uley's sons. He had the place furnished with two pool tables, a wet bar, flat screen TV's, surround sound, and three of the most comfortable chocolate suede sofa sectionals I had ever sat on. I personally had the pleasure of crashing on them several times in my lifetime.

After Jake graduated, Sam rightfully gave up Alpha. Which had me happy as hell. I mean who wants to take orders from their ex? I sure as hell didn't. Jake was a much better Alpha anyway. For a while, Sam took on the role of beta, but once his construction business got too big, he passed it on to Embry. No one really bitched about it. Paul, Jared, and Quil knew that being beta meant less time with their imprints. It was a no-brainer.

When I arrived and noticed surprisingly that only Jake and Embry were there, I should've known something was up. Jake was all about us '_maintaining our strict schedules'_. If we were up to fifteen minutes late and if there weren't any reasonable explanations behind _our tardiness_, we automatically would have more time tacked on to our patrolling schedule.

"Hey, Leah, what's up?" Jake asked, handing me a beer. He was being way too nice, and I noticed Embry looking a bit nervous as he circled the pool table.

"I don't know," I took a swig, "you tell me." I looked around suspiciously. "I thought the pack meeting started at 7."

"Actually, it starts at 7:30. We asked you to come early," Embry spoke up, finally making his way over to Jake and me. "There's something we have to tell you - before the rest of the pack gets here. We felt you should hear it first, considering the _circumstances_."

"Circumstances?" I repeated. Jake gave me a quick nod, as Embry leaned his pool stick against a nearby wall.

Embry's eyes shifted from mine, then back at Jake before returning. I didn't like the way they were both looking at me. It was that look of uncertainty and apprehension. They always gave me this stare when they had something fucked up to tell me and they were concerned about how I would react. No, scratch that. Not concerned, but scared shitless as to who would feel my rage.

"What the hell's going on?" I demanded, glaring at them.

"It's about Sam and Emily," Embry spoke up finally, turning his lips down.

Ah, Sam and Emily, my ex fiancé and cousin. Emily and Sam became the camouflage to my true heartache: my true pain. I just couldn't let my pack know the true reason behind why I was so angry. They already felt enough pity for me when it came to Sam and Emily. Only the Great Spirits would know how they'd treat me if they knew I was twice heartbroken. More so broken the second time around, because that love was real. It could've lasted forever, had it not been for the supernatural cluster fuck, I called life.

Richard was my true love and heartache. I lost him the day I phased. It was that stupid phone call from Emily asking me to be her maid of honor that got me so pissed, it triggered my first phase, and the death of my own father, who saw me change before his very eyes. It was too much for him to witness; his weakened heart just couldn't take it. So on top of losing the possibility of the greatest love of my life, I had to live with the fact that I killed my father, too.

Richard. A flash of his forest green eyes invaded my mind. They were so animated and striking. I could never forget Rich's eyes. Damn it, Leah! I hated myself when thoughts of him attacked me. I was so careful to keep that mental vault locked and hidden in the deep dark corner of my mind, away from even the prying minds of my pack brothers. The heartache was too deep. Deeper than the heartache I felt when I lost Sam. I shook my head and mentally slammed the vault shut again.

"Lee, you alright?" I felt Embry's hand rest on my shoulder. I totally forgot where I was and whom the hell I was with. I felt that familiar pang in my heart, and absentmindedly began rubbing my chest. Yeah, that's how intense his memory was. It brought me physical pain, yet I never understood why.

"I'm fine." I shook Embry's hand off of me. "So what's the deal?"

"Sam is leaving the pack," Jake revealed. I laughed; actually laughed. Embry and Jake shifted a bit and stared at one another. Their expressions were priceless. Utter confusion was edged across their faces. I guess they weren't expecting this type of reaction.

"Okay," I continued smirking. That's the best news I've heard in over three years!

I felt free. Liberated! I would never have to witness another lust-filled lovey-dovey thought of Emily again. I stopped loving Sam a long time ago, but that didn't mean I wanted to be privy to his dirty thoughts of my cousin who was once like a sister to me.

"Because Emily's pregnant," Embry grimaced as if he was waiting for me to punch him in the face.

I immediately stopped laughing. Those three words echoed in my head over and over again. I stood there, unable to speak. The ache in my chest returned with a vengeance.

Children. The elders weren't sure if I was capable of having them. They thought perhaps the reason I phased wasn't just because of my bloodline, but because something was wrong with me reproductive-wise. And now here I was being told that my cousin was a better fit for Sam, so fitting that she became his imprint, later on; his wife, and now the mother of his first child.

Ain't life fucking grand?

"Leah, we just felt it was best to let you know. I didn't feel right about springing some shit like this on you around the rest of the pack," Embry replied slowly. He was my closest friend out of everyone. We became tight throughout the years before phasing. He was Sam's younger brother and was a third wheel on our many dates. But a third wheel I welcomed with open arms, and even sided with me when Sam dumped me for Emily.

"It is what it is," I huffed loudly, taking a seat. I looked up to see Jake and Embry eyeing me carefully. Did they think I was gonna flip out? Break some shit? Even worse, cry? A part of me wanted to, but what good would that shit do? In the end Emily would still be pregnant and I'd still not be. "It's okay, guys." I assured them. "Women have babies every day," I mumbled, taking another swig.

I said nothing else.

The rest of the pack started to arrive, and soon went on a whole spiel about Lauren's slutty tendencies and how she was after Embry now…which I guess made sense, considering the fact that he was the richest single guy in our crew. Throw in good looks and you've got your ideal dream guy.

Brady felt a little offended and went on a rant about the fact that he was still single and so was my little brother. My little brother wouldn't fuck Lauren if she paid him to, however Brady was down to do whatever, whenever. I think I threw up a little in mouth at the very thought. I had enough. It was time to make an exit, and what better way than to throw out some great insults and make everyone totally uncomfortable?

Brady was just a pup, his balls hadn't even dropped yet. I cleared my throat and finally added my two cents. "Yeah, but you aren't legal," I cackled callously. "Lauren may be a slut, but she's no pedophile. Not to mention, Collin should consider himself single as well, given the fact that his imprint considers him jailbait."

Collin imprinted on nineteen-year-old Bree Biers, formerly known as Bree Tanner. I took me awhile to warm up to her, but after I heard about what she went through, my heart softened a little for her.

Bree had lived in Idaho for most of her life and thought her mom had left her abusive father when she was four. He then packed Bree up and moved them to Idaho. Because of the abuse, Bree felt like a total freak around kids her age. She was a quiet, withdrawn girl. No one ever noticed the signs of her abusive home life, despite some physical evidence. Finally, Bree couldn't stand his abuse and ran away from home a few weeks before her sixteenth birthday. She had enough money for a bus ride to Seattle, but nothing more than that. She tried unsuccessfully to get a job, and began stealing in order to eat. She slept in parks and alleys - any place where she felt a little bit safe. But her biggest fear was that the police would catch her and send her home to her father. Bree was a survivor, that's what reeled me in.

She'd been on the run for less than three weeks when Riley Biers, a Forks local, found her behind a restaurant looking through trash for food. His heart instantly broke for her. He offered her some food and then drove her back to Forks to his parent's house. It was Chief Swan who discovered - through some investigative work - that Bree's mother had been murdered and buried in their backyard by her own dad before they had moved to Idaho. After the cops found the bones, they assumed Bree's dad killed her, as well. He was serving time for both their murders. Once Bree had been reinstated as alive, Riley's parents legally adopted her. Collin imprinted on Bree about a year ago when she started working for Rachel on the rez.

Unfortunately, at the time Collin was only fourteen and Bree was eighteen. Poor kid couldn't even get busy with his imprint. He's turning sixteen in six months, and luckily that was the age of consent here in Washington. The kid was literally counting down the days.

"Fuck you, Leah!" Collin snarled. Oh, did I strike a nerve with little Collin? I think I did. Let's push this further.

"No thanks, sweetie. I'm no pedophile, either, not to mention - I've seen you naked." I looked him up and down disapprovingly. "And unfortunately, Collin, I gotta tell ya, man…I'm not impressed." I sniggered.

"Gross, Leah," Seth groaned. "You just had to go there." I shrugged indifferently, finished my beer, and then stood up.

"I'm heading home," I announced astringently sweet, grabbing my keys. As if they'd really wanna spend more time with me after that. "Hey, Call?" I got Embry's attention. "Tell 'Daddy Rich Bucks' I said thanks for the free beer. Later."

"Wait, Lee, we still have pack business to attend to," Jake spoke up. If he thought I was gonna sit here and listen to a repeat of my defects as a woman, he was totally mistaken.

"Is that an order, oh almighty alpha?" I sneered angrily.

"Leah-" Jake began.

"I can't, Jake," I snapped my eyes shut for a moment trying to get my emotions in check. "I've been better these past few years; I've done what you guys have asked of me. I've been less hostile towards them. Shit, I even went to their fucking wedding, but I can't stay." I shook my head. "Not for this." For just one second, I gave Embry a pleading look. Instantly, he understood.

"Give her a break, Jake," Embry finally cut in. He always had my back.

"Go ahead, Leah," Jake sighed. He didn't have to tell me twice. I was out of there.

**~XOXOXOXOXOX**~

Although Seth and I lived in the same house, we had plenty of privacy. The first floor was his. The second floor was mine. It had been renovated into a studio-like loft, equipped with its own kitchen and bathroom.

I took a long deep breath as I set my keys on the table, plopped down on my bed, and closed my eyes. It was easy to keep memories of him away while awake, but sleep was another story. Even though it was seven years ago, it always felt like yesterday in my dreams…

_I was sixteen and working at J & P's, a grocery, hardware, and clothing store all in one. Mom and dad wanted to teach me a little something about gaining my independence. I wasn't quite sure how ringing up annoying customers and answering stupid questions would help 'mold me,' but I did it anyway. After about three weeks of working there, I made friends with Morgan Stanley. She had an annoying little sister named Jessica who drove her insane, so working at J & P's was a way to escape. She was a spunky, Goth chick, who constantly wore dark eye shadow and spikes on her clothes, but I liked her nonetheless. Especially since I didn't dress traditionally girly myself._

_"He's here again today," Morgan whispered loudly as I worked the register and she quickly bagged Mrs. Newton's groceries._

_The he in question was a handsome older guy with the most amazing green eyes. So I heard._

_I'd never seen them up close. The mystery guy always kept his distance from me. But even from far away, I could understand why all the girls were crazy over him. Still, with all of those great looks, I had Sam, and no one could compete with the guy who had my heart._

_"Alright, Mrs. Newton, that'll be $82.48." I handed over her change and waved goodbye. She was a nice lady. Too bad her son Mike was a __perv__ in training, I mean, the kid hadn't even hit puberty yet and I always caught him staring at my chest. I was so glad she didn't bring him along today._

_Working a nine hour shift would exhaust anyone and I closed my eyes just for a moment to rest them only to be greeted by the most intense green eyes I ever had seen when I opened them again._

_Muted, gentle, medium green, containing a few flecks of brown in the irises - but not enough to look hazel - stared back at me. I couldn't help but notice how they absorbed light rather than reflect it, causing them to shimmer slightly. I felt my heart speed up slightly as his lips curled up; forming into the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. He reminded me of a younger, hotter version of James Dean, but much better dressed._

_I felt star struck in his presence and he wasn't even famous! Unable to speak, an overwhelming feeling took over me as I continued staring at the gorgeous guy standing before me._

_"Hello, Leah." His hypnotizing voice had a hint of mischief in it. Get it together, Leah! You have a boyfriend! Remember? Sam…Sam…Sam…what the hell was his last name again? Wait! How'd he know my name?_

_"I just realized I'm due for a break," Morgan cut in. I whipped my head in her direction as she sped off without another word. What the hell? I'm so __gonna__ kill her later._

_"How did you know my name?" I finally found my voice again._

_"Name tag." He lifted his chin towards the piece of plastic on my shirt. Well, duh Leah, he's already hot, being psychic would have been too much. "But I must admit I'm a little surprised. I expected it to be something a little more exotic, like __Siran__ or __Zeina__, both meaning beautiful, of course."_

_He thought I was beautiful? Was I hearing this guy right?_

_"I'm Rich by the way," he grinned._

_"Yeah, you definitely are," I muttered scornfully. I looked through enough GQ magazines to see that._

_"No," he laughed, shaking his head. "My name is Rich…Faust, actually."_

_Faust? That name rang a bell. "As in Judge Faust?" I watched Rich blink a few times with surprise._

_"Yeah, they're relatives of mine," he explained. "Listen, Leah, I've been here all week trying to think of how to approach you, and what to say."_

_"The __Siran__ 'line' worked real well," I chided playfully._

_"I meant it," he replied confidently. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."_

_"Rich," I cut him off, "I'm flattered and all, but I have a boyfriend." A boyfriend whose last name I totally forgot few a minutes ago, but remembered now._

_"Of course you do," he chuckled, seeming unfazed. "But what's wrong with having a friend?"_

A loud banging jolted me awake. "Leah, open up!" I heard my brother yelling from outside my door.

"I'm coming," I groaned, still feeling shaken by the dream I just had. Again.

"Hurry up, Lee, it's really important!" he continued yelling, and I quickly made my way to my door. I swung it open, shocked to see Seth still wearing what he had on last night at the pack meeting. "It happened, Leah!" He rushed passed me before turning around. "I imprinted!" he exclaimed happily.

Fuck my life.

**A/N: What do you all think so far? Please review, and add this story to your alerts/favorites. Thanks for reading. The next chapter will be Ricky's POV, want a sneak? Review this chapter and one will be sitting in your inbox on Sunday * to my vet readers, yes Sneak Peak Sunday is back ***

**Story Recommendation(s)**: Torn In Two by IAmPhoenix; and not because she's my sister, or because she loves my crazy, but it's really worth the read! For those of you who like AH stories, check out AH Twilight Writers: MarinaNamaste & Aretee. Totally worth the read!


	2. Chapter 2

**Beta'd by the breathtaking and artistic Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very remarkable and very awe-inspiring Aretee!**

**Many thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**A multiple wave of gratitude to those who reviewed and I hope you enjoyed the sneak peak I sent your way. Same rule applies for this chapter. Review, and a sneak of Chapter 3 will be in your inbox by Sunday. **

**Pics of original characters and places are on my profile under You Don't Know Me and If You're Not the One. **

**Chapter 2: Not That Simple...**

**Rich POV**

The music from downstairs blared at an abnormal volume, causing my temples to throb.

_Bands a make her dance, bands a make her dance_  
><em>All these chicks popping <em>_pu__$$y, I'm just popping bands_  
><em>Bands a make her dance, bands a make her dance<em>  
><em>These chicks <em>_clappin__', and they __ain't__ using hands (x2)_

"Twerk, twerk, twerk!" I heard someone yell, followed by, "Ohhh, shit!" along with some annoying hooting and hollering.

_Short hair like Nia Long, loose one she don't need it loan_  
><em>She start twerking when she hear a song, the stripper pole her income<em>  
><em>We get trippy and then some, so nasty when she rolling<em>  
><em>She put that ass off in my hands, I remote control it<em>  
><em>She give me dome when the roof gone, at the K. O. D. she live with me<em>  
><em>She got friends bring three, I got drugs, I got drinks….<em>

"This was such a bad idea," I groaned with frustration. _How the hell did I end up volunteering my house as the spot for Donte's bachelor party?_ I removed my glasses and started rubbing my eyes. Being best man was starting to take its toll on me. The next six chapters of my latest true crime novel were due in two weeks to my publishing agent and they were nowhere near complete.

_Bend it over, Juicy J gone poke it like wet paint_  
><em>You say no to ratchet <em>_pu__$$y, Juicy J can't_  
><em>Racks everywhere, they're showing racks, I'm throwing racks<em>  
><em>In the VIP rubber on I'm stretching it….<em>

I slammed my laptop shut. "This shit is pointless." I moaned out loud, the words just wouldn't come.

_Bands a make her dance, bands a make her dance_  
><em>All these chicks popping <em>_pu__$$y, I'm just popping bands_  
><em>Bands a make her dance, bands a make her dance<em>  
><em>These chicks <em>_clappin__', and they __ain't__ using hands._

"I have to get out of here," I muttered to myself, glancing out my window. Who would've thought that at twenty-six, I'd be sneaking out of my own house? Certainly not me. Donte would understand. We'd been friends for so long. He knew sometimes I just had to get away in order to collect my thoughts.

Truthfully, the loud music and the half-naked strippers downstairs weren't causing my writer's block. It was her.

Leah.

I tried my hardest to let her memory die, but I just couldn't, and she had been on my mind a lot lately. More than usual. No matter how hard I tried to focus on other things, memories of Leah taunted me relentlessly.

My life with Leah had been filled with daily adventure, laughter, and fun. She made me embrace each moment to the fullest.

She and I just fit. Like hands to a glove. Like, two peas in a pod. One body housing two souls. I thought we'd be together forever - as friends, if not lovers. So when she left without any explanation, I just didn't understand. The next two years without her had been filled with fear, uncertainty, boredom, and aimlessness. However, I tried to play it off well. But by year three I merely existed. I hadn't really lived in a long time.

Pretending to be something I'm not came easily to me since I had been pretending my entire life. I pretended to be the biological son of Daniel and Caroline Desmond, because my birth mother didn't want me and my real father was a serial-killing monster. Only Matt and Donte actually knew the truth about who I was.

Had it not been for Matt, Donte, therapy, and their meddling girlfriends, I honestly don't think I would have survived Leah's abandonment. The two were polar opposites in their way of helping me get over her. Matt thought I needed to pray the heartache away, while Donte thought I should sleep with as many women as possible.

I did neither, but met them halfway. Meditation along with casual dating. Still every girl I ever dated only reinforced my belief that Leah was irreplaceable. I should have been used to it by now. Thanks to my mom, I was all too familiar with the term abandonment. I guess that's why I always steered clear of love. If I couldn't get my own mother to love me, how in the hell could I get anyone else to?

I took a seat on the hood of my car, and inhaled the hot summer air. Underneath the moon's beam, as I watched the stars flicker in the clear dark sky, I found myself honing in on the brightest one of all. It reminded me of Leah; that's how I saw her. She stood out from all the other women that ever crossed my path. She was everything I always wanted. Too bad she already belonged to someone else...

_The friend-zone; it's a shitty little place to be in. To have a platonic relationship with someone when all the hell you want to do is have him or her in a romantic way, but unfortunately, they just don't see that in you. Being in a position like that could take a toll on a guy's ego; and it did._

_Leah was attracted to me. That, I was certain of, but it didn't change the fact that she was in love with Sam. Leah wasn't that type of girl. She didn't cheat. That amazing quality about her, only made me want Leah more. I was in love with her from the moment I saw her, and I only continued to fall deeper as I got to know her._

_She was tough as a lion, but gentle as a lamb. How she managed to be that way was beyond me. She wasn't like any girl I met back home, or the college girls I encountered in my freshman year. Women I meet always lack substance. Perhaps that's another reason why I also avoided romantic relationships altogether. It was like Leah had been made just for me and there wasn't another girl who fit._

_But our friendship had its hurdles. For starters, I could never visit her in La Push. Sam was way too jealous, and would most likely forbid Leah from being friends with me. So the best way to continue our friendship was in secret. Meaning, I couldn't meet her other friends or family because, although they wouldn't tell Sam about me, she didn't want her family to have to lie. I hated being her secret, but I was desperate to have Leah any way I could. I accepted her in any way I could have her. Even if that just meant as friends, no matter how much it hurt to be near her, unable to truly express my feelings._

_In another two weeks, I was heading back to Stanford to start my sophomore year. Nonna and Gramps finally agreed to rent a place for me off campus with Donte and Matt, under the condition that I maintain my GPA._

_Matt's girlfriend, Sonya, was moving in, also, while her younger cousin, Consuela, who was starting her freshman year, would use the last spare bedroom. I'd never met her before, but Matt vouched for her, and that was all I needed._

_Most guys my age would be itching to get to college and celebrate their newfound freedom in a huge four-bedroom house, but I wasn't. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Leah. She made me feel alive again. We'd managed to hang out with one another every other day and our bond had only strengthened. We promised we'd keep in touch and I would be back for Thanksgiving, But I wasn't sure if I could handle not seeing Leah every day for the next four months._

_Leah truly made me happy. I hadn't felt this good since I found Essie and Abby, but that happiness was so short lived. But, I had to put my feelings aside. Especially today; it was Leah's seventeenth birthday and she managed to get away for a bit so I could give her __her__ present. I was in the middle of packing when my door swung open._

_"Look who's here!" __Nonna__ happily exclaimed, ushering Leah inside my room. "I just love your shirt, hinny," she laughed, kissing Leah's cheek._

_"Thanks, __Nonna__." As I walked towards Leah and finally started reading her shirt, I immediately smirked. She was wearing a dark black t-shirt with white font in all caps that read: **EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO BE STUPID…BUT YOU ARE ABUSING THE PRIVILEGE.**_

_"That's awesome," I chuckled, hugging her._

_"Thought you'd like it," she quipped before letting go and plopping down on my bed as __Nonna__ walked out. "I see you're packing," Leah observed as she sifted through my suitcase a bit. I could have sworn I heard a little sadness in her voice, but I wasn't going to call her out on it, I had to admit it made me happy knowing she would miss me. But the fact that I was leaving her made it all too bittersweet. _

_"You don't have any dirty magazines in here, do you?" She always used humor to camouflage her sadness. "Don't __wanna__ have to disinfect my hands later."_

_"Not in this bag," I joked back, trying to keep the mood light. "Those are in my carry-on. The articles are so enlightening."_

_"Pervert," Leah grinned._

_"What do you have there?" I asked her, finally noticing that she was holding something in her hands as I zipped my bag._

_"I got you a little something," she replied, giving me a mischievous smirk._

_"It's your birthday, Leah." As if I had to remind her, she had been excited about this all week and wouldn't stop rambling about it. "Why are you getting me something?" I added, a little confused as she rose from my bed._

_"It's a going-away gift." She handed me the bag. I gave her a curious look before opening it. It was large gray t-shirt with black font: **BEST FRIENDS ARE THOSE WHO, WHEN YOU SHOW UP AT THEIR DOOR WITH A DEAD BODY, SAY NOTHING, GRAB A SHOVEL, AND FOLLOW YOU.**_

_I couldn't stop laughing. "This is the best gift anyone has ever given me." I pulled Leah in for another hug. "I'm really going to miss you." I held on a lot longer than I should've, but I couldn't help it. It felt so right and she smelled so damn good._

_"Text me every day?" she murmured against my chest._

_"Every day," I whispered back, finally letting go. It was written all over Leah's face. I knew she cared for me, maybe deeper than she should, since she had Sam, but she'd never admit it, and I wouldn't force her to, either._

_I had fallen in love over one summer with an unavailable woman._

_Could my life get any crueler than it had already been? I mustered up my best fake smile._

_"Enough with the sappy shit." I playfully jabbed her in the shoulder before walking over to my desk and grabbing Leah's gift. It was in a purple and black bag with 'Happy Birthday' scribbled in fancy handwriting on both sides. "Happy Birthday, Leah Clearwater."_

_Leah's eyes immediately lit up as she pulled out the converse shoebox. "You didn't." She shook her head with disbelief as she lifted the lid._

_"I did," I laughed. Leah had been eyeing the classic all-black Converse Chuck Taylor's for weeks. They had a black stripe mid-sole and All Star heel branding, finished with metal eyelets and a rubber toecap._

_I watched Leah's fingertips trace the heel branding, just as her smile slowly faded and a forlorn look appeared across her face._

_"Oh, shit. Did I get the wrong size? I thought I heard you telling Morgan you wore a 7.5." I could've sworn on it!_

_"It's the right size. This is perfect," Leah exhaled loudly. "It's just that Sam got me shoes, too." Instead of sounding happy about it, she sounded pissed. "High heels." High heels? Seriously? What the fuck! Leah didn't wear high heels. "Sam thinks I don't dress girly enough."_

_"What the hell does that even mean, Leah?" Dressing girly? "So you don't wear skirts every single day, who gives a shit? It doesn't make you any less girly than the next woman. You're perfect, Leah, whether you're wearing high heels or Chuck Taylor's." Or nothing at all for that matter._

_"I prefer Chuck Taylor's." Leah finally smiled._

_"Then wear them." I grinned back._

**~XOXOXOXOXO~**

"Oh, shit, you're doing it again," I heard Donte huff, taking a seat beside me on the hood of my car. "You're thinking about _her_."

"No, I'm not," I lied defiantly.

"You can't bullshit me, bro," Donte smirked, playfully shoving me. "You always get this weird constipated look on your face when she crosses your mind."

"Shouldn't you be inside stuffing dollar bills down someone's G-string?" I glared at my best friend.

A horrified look came across Donte's face. "Hell naw!" he exclaimed. "My soon-to-be wife said, and I quote, 'If I find out you even touched one of those skanky, nasty strippers: _Voy a cortarte en pedacitos minúsculos_!'"

I threw my head back and laughed; after taking Spanish for years, I understood Gi-Gi loud and clear.

"Now, I'm not fluent in the Latino language, but somewhere in there, I know she said something about cuttin' a brotha." He shivered. "And I ain't cool with that. I'm way too pretty to be getting _this _face cut up." He added ironing his goatee and eyebrows with his fingers.

Gotta love Gi-Gi.

"But all jokes aside," Donte's tone sobered up, "you alright, man?"

"You're right." I rubbed my hand across my face before continuing. "I was thinking about _her_," I admitted. "I'm starting to even dream about _her_." Damn, I sounded so fucking pathetic. "I try not to, but I can't help it." What's the use in pretending anymore? Might as well just keep it real. "I need answers, D. I need to know what I did wrong,"

"Don't start that shit again, man," he cut me off. "_She_ stopped talking to you. _You_ did nothing wrong." He sounded just like my shrink.

"Maybe something happened to her." There just had to be something more to this; a piece of the puzzle I was missing.

"It's been over three years, Ricky. She would have at least tried to contact you. Your grandparents claim they still see her around, right?" My best friend placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed hard. "She did a number on you, man. Don't go backwards," he urged me. "You gotta let her go."

If only it was that simple.

*****BIG ANNOUNCEMENT (S)*****

**YDKM has been added to the When Gravity Moves community.**

**Many thanks to europ92; the awesome founder.**

**Review this chapter and a sneak peak of the next chapter will be in your inbox on Sunday. **

**Thanks again for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Beta'd by the breathtaking and artistic Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very remarkable and very awe-inspiring Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I hope you enjoyed the sneak peak I sent your way. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

**_You Don't Know Me_**** and ****_If You're Not the One_**

**Chapter 3: Pinch Me; I Must Be Dreaming**

**Leah POV**

Seth was going a million miles per second. He went from talking about the pack meeting I missed last night, to stalled vehicles, food poisoning, and then imprinting.

"Seth!" I was able to finally cut in.

He stopped pacing in my living space and looked up at me oddly, like something was wrong with me for not putting together all the missing pieces.

"Don't say another word." Seth started to open his mouth, but I shot up my hand, signaling him to stop. "Take a long deep breath." I watched my brother inhale deeply and then breathe out slowly. "Good," I smiled victoriously. "Now I want you to start from the beginning and try not to leave anything out this time, okay?"

"Okay." Seth nodded. "Mother Moonflower, you remember her, huh?" My brother asked, taking a seat on the edge of my bed.

"Of course." How could I not? "She was like a second grandmother to us." She was so much more than just that. A much honored member among our people, a spiritual counselor, and a caretaker to all of the grade school children of the tribe. She never met a person who disliked her. She had an aura about her. Anybody that had the pleasure to be in her presence could feel it; sense it, even. It was a great sadness to us all when we lost her ten years ago.

Although Mother Moonflower was known as a great nurturer among our tribe, she didn't have the same luck with her own kids. Her son, Tim ran off many years ago after his twin sister, Florence committed suicide. No one knew why she did it and a suicide note was never found.

"What does this have to do with you imprinting?" I had no clue where Seth was going with this. I took a seat beside him.

"Last night, Embry got a phone call from his mom. She told him that there was a stalled car a few miles from the rez. Guess who was in the stalled vehicle?" I shook my head, threw up my hands, and waited for his answer. "Mother Moonflower's long lost granddaughters!" Seth all but shouted. "Tim's kids."

"No shit?" Tim had kids? I had no idea.

"Yeah, I know." Seth laughed. "Anyway, it turns out that one of the girls was pretty sick." I watched my brother tense up a bit. The sick one must have been his imprint, given the sudden change in his demeanor. "I mean, what are the odds, Lee? Out of all the people that could have stopped to help them, it was our mom and Tiff?" Our mom is the rez doctor and Tiff is her nursing assistant. "It's like – like divine intervention or something," he mused. "Anyway, Ester. She's seventeen."

"She was named after Mother Moonflower?" I was a little dumbfounded. That sort of shocked me, given the fact that the gossip was, that son and mother parted on bitter terms.

"Apparently." Seth shrugged as he continued on. "And even though I never saw Florence in the flesh – I've just seen her in pictures like the rest of us – Ester looks like her mirror image. Just a little paler, if you ask me."

So this Ester Moonflower must be gorgeous. The Moonflower women were said to be some of the most stunning women among our tribe. I saw photos of them because they were kin to Billy and Jake. They had a lot of albums with the Moonflowers. Even in Mother Moonflower's old age, she was a nice-looking lady.

"The sick one," Seth swallowed hard and took another deep breath, "is Abigail. She's fifteen. She's my imprint." He shut his eyes for a moment. "And I love her, Leah." He sounded so sure of himself.

"Of course you do," I snorted. That's what imprinting did. Made you fall in love within seconds of meeting someone. I felt and saw it through my pack brothers' eyes.

Seth went on talking as if he didn't hear me, but I know he did. "Abigail has food poisoning. Mom got her started on some antibiotics," he exhaled. "She's so beautiful, Leah. She has the most incredible set of eyes. They're brown, but they look almost golden," he smiled at me. "Mom referred to them as brandy-colored."

I watched the faraway look spread across his face as he went on to describe his mate.

"Light auburn hair; she has the fairest, softest-looking skin." There was so much love in his voice. I felt jealous for just a brief moment. Not because Seth found his mate, but because I wasn't sure if I would ever feel that way about someone or have someone feel that way about me. I had that with Rich. But phasing took it all away.

Suddenly, something caught my attention in his description of Abigail. "Did you just say she had fair skin?" Seth nodded. "Like white?"

"Yeah," he replied quickly, getting up and walking into my kitchen. I got up and followed him, still stunned by what I heard. "It's obvious their mom wasn't Native American. Abigail must have taken after their mom, while Ester looks more like the Moonflowers. Honestly, they look nothing alike." I guess that makes sense, I really didn't care if the chick had polka dots all over her body, as long as she treated my brother right. "I need to borrow your crock pot. I wanted to make Abigail some of mom's famous homemade soup." He started rummaging through my cabinets.

"Bottom left," I commented. "So I guess this means I won't get a chance to see Abigail for a bit," I added, trying not to sound too disappointed. Apparently, our wolves really went into territorial mode when our mates were sick and we didn't want other wolves around them. It's our job to take care of them and no one else's. Everyone was a threat.

"I don't think the same rule applies to you, Leah. I don't see you as a threat. You're my sister," Seth replied, clutching the pot. I nodded in understanding. "There's one more thing I need to tell you about Ester," Seth said, agonizingly slow. There goes that damn look again! "Embry; he imprinted – on Ester."

"This shit just keeps getting better," I mumbled, walking towards my closet. I needed to be at Jake's shop in the next hour.

"Leah, please don't be like that," Seth groaned, following me. "This is a good thing. Imprinting only makes our pack stronger. We have something more worth fighting for." My brother was right and no matter how much imprinting got on my nerves, it did strengthen our pack. "Just give them both a chance." Seth was standing in front me, giving me his best puppy brown eyes. "Please?" I could never say no to the puppy eyes.

My little brother had a way with me. I always felt a need to protect him because next to my mom, Seth was all I had left. "Fine," I conceded.

"Thanks, Lee!" My brother hugged me tightly.

"I just hope they aren't too timid." I can't stand timid bitches.

"Trust me, they aren't. Abigail spent most of the night trying to make me laugh in between puking her guts out, and Ester – I don't think she likes me very much." I pulled back and stared at my brother peculiarly. "She threatened me already over Abigail." She did what now? No one threatens my little brother. "Called me a wolf in sheep's clothing, too." I would think her choice of words was funny, had it not been my brother she was threatening. "She said Abigail didn't need any distractions like boys. She said she would be watching me." Oh, is that right? Well, I will just have to let this Ester chick know I'd be watching Abigail, too. "I should really get going. I have to still make the soup, then shower and head back."

"Okay. I gotta get myself ready and head to the shop." Seth gave me a quick nod and headed towards the door. "Hey, Seth." He whipped around. "Congratulations. I'm really happy for you." And I truly meant it.

"Thanks, Lee." Seth's face was filled with so much relief and I couldn't help but smile.

**~XOXOXOXOXOX~**

**Rich POV**

_"Are you sure you're ready to do this, son?"_ I could hear the unsettled tone in my grandfather's voice on the other end. "_Coming back to Forks? Sometimes it's just best to leave things in the past. It took so long to get you back on track. Do you think reopening healed wounds –?_"

"See, that's where you're wrong, Gramps," I cut him off. "The wounds never healed. I've just gotten better at hiding my pain." I heard a long sigh on the other end of the phone. "How can I possibly move on when I haven't had the chance to get the closure I need from the person who caused it all in the first place?"

There was a long silence before Gramps spoke again.

"_And you think confronting Leah is going to make everything alright?_" I wasn't really sure, but I had to see her. How could Leah tell me she was falling for me one night, and then never speak to me again only a few months later? "_I mean, I get it, son. She didn't just walk away from you; she walked away from us, too._" The hurt was so evident in his voice. "_We loved Leah like she was our own. We miss her, also._"

"I know, Gramps." I exhaled sadly. "Which means you, of all people, should understand why I must do this. I need to come back to Forks and track down Leah. I deserve an explanation." The familiar pangs in my chest began to lessen already. Something in me screamed that this was what I needed to do.

"_This is what you want?_" Gramps asked once more.

"It's what I need," I told him.

"_Alright, fine. We'll support you in this. As you know, your grandmother and I are out of town. You still have the spare key?_"

"Of course I do," I replied, looking down at my key chain.

"_Call us when you land safely_."

"Yes, sir." Just as I hung up, I noticed Matt and Sonya standing in my doorway. Matt had an apprehensive look on his face, while Sonya looked utterly pissed. She wasn't a Leah fan. She got a front row seat to my self-destruction after things ended so badly between us.

"The front door was unlocked," Matt explained. "Besides, it's almost like a second nature to waltz in." This was the same house my grandparents rented for me when I was in college. After graduating and renewing my publishing contract, I used my sign-on bonus to buy the place.

Yes my grandparents were very well off, and so were my adoptive parents. They could have easily bought the house for me, but I wanted to do it for myself.

"We came to help clean up," Sonya added as she continued glaring at me, folding her arms across her chest.

I slowly rose from my desk. "I know what you're thinking, Sony, –" I used her nickname hoping to get a little bit of leniency.

"Oh, you don't wanna know what I'm thinking, _chico_," she huffed, marching into the living room. Her accent always got thicker when she was pissed. "How many times huh? _Cuantos_?" she hissed. "How many times did Gi-Gi, Matt, Donte and I have to literally pick you up off the damn floor, drunk off your ass, reeling over what that _la __bruja_ did to you?"

"Don't insult her!" I spat. Sonya knew I drew the line when it came to bashing Leah. Yes, she hurt me badly, but I wouldn't allow any of them to disrespect her.

"Well, technically it wasn't an insult," Matt spoke up. "_La __bruja_ means sorceress and it's obvious to us all that Leah somehow bewitched you a long time ago, because here you are, still under her spell," he mused sadly, shaking his head. "You never get involved with serious relationships," he pointed out. I never stayed with one girl long enough for any of them to meet my friends or family. "They were never good enough."

"They were never _Leah Clearwater_," Sonya mumbled as she started gathering empty beer cans and tossing them in a large trash bag.

"But," did I hear a _'but'_ come out of Matt's mouth? "I think this is a good idea."

"Are you serious right now?" Sonya glowered at her husband.

Matt held up his hands defensively. "Just hear me out, babe!" Sonya raised one brow and waited impatiently for her husband to plead his case. He walked up to his wife and placed his hand on her barely visible baby bump. "We love one another," he stroked her cheek and instantly her face softened, "and if all of a sudden, you just disappeared on me with no explanation, I'd want answers, too." My friend turned his attention to me. "Go to Forks. Find your girl."

"What about you, Sony?" I stared at Matt's wife. She pivoted her weight on one foot before looking me directly in the eyes. "Are you okay with this?" I could tell she was internally struggling with her answer.

"No, I'm not," Sonya, answered honestly. Of course she wasn't. I didn't blame her, either. "But," another '_but'_ this sounds promising, "I understand, and if or when she hurts you, I will be here. _We will all be here_. Just make sure you're back in time for Donte's wedding." It was still four weeks away.

"I'm the best man. Of course I'll be there," I grinned.

Leah first. Wedding second.

**Flashback **

_"Come on, Leah! Give it back!" I chased her around the table._

_"Hell, no!" she cackled as she dashed into the living room. "I'm keeping this picture." She dangled my future blackmail in her hand. "You look so adorable with your little hat," she cooed._

_"It's a __Yamaka__!" I tried to snatch the picture out of her hand, but she was too fast and she ducked and slid between my legs. "Come on, Leah. It was my Bar Mitzvah." I went running after her as she raced upstairs._

_"Bar what? How old were you back then, ten?" She made it to my room and tried to slam the door shut, but I slid my foot out just in time._

_"Thirteen," I corrected her, pushing the door open. "It's a Jewish religious ritual and family celebration where a boy is deemed personally responsible for fulfilling all the commandments," I added, playfully snatching the photo from her grasp._

_She gave me a mischievous pout, only making her that much more sexy. This was our second summer as friends and we were closer than ever. But I messed up. I told Leah I didn't see her romantically anymore. I told her my crush had died._

_I lied. I was deeper in love with her now than I was before. I just didn't want any awkwardness. I felt that by telling her I just saw her as a friend, our friendship would be easier. I also convinced myself that if I told her I didn't see her that way anymore, maybe someday I wouldn't. Shit wasn't working._

_"Do you really want to keep this picture, Leah?" I walked over to where she was standing by my bed looking out the window, obviously pretending like she really didn't care. "Just say yes and it's all yours," I teased, waving it in front of her._

_"I don't know," she stared down at her nails, "doesn't really matter."_

_"Doesn't matter?" I repeated. "Well, I guess I can just toss this in the trash." I started walking towards the wastebasket. Within seconds, I felt Leah jump on my back._

_"You better not, Richard Faust! I swear I'll kick your ass! Give me my damn picture back!" She tried to reach for the photograph, but I had my hand extended farther away from her._

_"Your picture?!" I laughed hysterically._

_"Yes, mine!" She laughed back. I flung her on the bed and did a belly flop beside her._

_I couldn't stop marveling at her – how strikingly beautiful Leah was. Her skin was a flawless shade of copper; she had the longest eyelashes I had ever seen, and behind those eyelashes were the most amazing set of smoky black eyes. I loved watching them dance and dart whenever she was experiencing a higher level of emotion. She had sexy curves in all the right places and she already stood at almost 5'7" now. If I were to take her back to California with me, she'd be mistaken as a model or be offered a contract right on the spot._

_After finally shaking my head out of my Leah-induced haze, I tugged at her long, jet-black hair and then handed her the photo. "It's yours, Leah."_

_"Thanks, Rich." She smiled at me and held the photo to her chest._

_I wasn't even talking about that damn picture anymore; I was referring to my heart__._

**PLEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 4 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I cannot thank you enough, I hope you enjoyed the sneak peak I sent your way. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

_You Don't Know Me_ **and **_If You're Not the One_

**Chapter 4: Spirit Warriors and Shamrocks**

**Leah POV**

_"He died in prison." I sat there, stunned by Rich's admission about his birth father. I was sitting with my legs crossed on the floor; Rich was sitting across from me in the same way. I asked him to tell me one fact about his real parents, but I never__expected__him to reveal something so shocking. I was utterly speechless._

_"What did he do?" I whispered, finally finding my voice._

_"Very. Bad. Things," he exhaled, his lips trembling. "Unspeakable acts." Rich lifted his head to look up at me. His eyes were glistening. "I finally got the courage to track down my birth mother when I was eighteen."_

_"Gramps and Nonna's daughter?"_

_He nodded._

_"She wants nothing to do with me," his voice cracked._

_"Why?" Rich was amazing. How could she not want him?_

_"Because she sees my father in me," he replied sadly, dropping his head. I grabbed a hold of my best friend's face and lifted it. He appeared so lost and shattered. It broke my heart. _

_"Listen to me, Rich." I looked into his eyes. "You are not your father."_

_"We share the same DNA, Lee," he murmured dejectedly. "Maybe I'm just like him."_

_"No," I shook my head rebelliously, "you are not! You're good, Rich."_

_"How do you know, Leah?" He spoke desperately, staring at me. "How do you know I'm good?" His gaze was so penetrating it almost made me weak. I had to close my eyes for just a brief moment to get my emotions in check. _

_"Because," I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, "you're good to me Rich. You're good to me." I repeated once more. And I really didn't deserve it._

_I was taking more from this friendship than I was giving back. Rich let me into his life, shared his secrets with me, and introduced me to his family, and here I was unable to do the same out of fear of how others would react; specifically Sam. Yes, I truly didn't deserve Rich, but there was no way I could possibly let him go now. He was starting to become the most important person in my life, and that revelation alone scared the shit outta me. _

**Rich POV**

_She thought I was good. She had no idea who my father was – what he did. The terror he caused, the lives he took. The easy part was telling Leah my biological father died in prison. The hard part – the part I would never tell her – was that he died by lethal injection for being the most infamous serial killer known to date. _

_Aden West. His name alone still sent frightful shivers down people's spines to this very day. _

_The easy part was telling Leah my mother didn't want me. The hard part – the part I would never reveal – was that my mom was Aden's only surviving victim and I was the outcome of her tortuous captivity._

_"I have two little sisters," I managed to say._

_"What are their names?" Leah eyes piqued with interest._

_"I can't, Leah," I croaked, shaking my head. I hadn't spoken Essie or Abby's names out loud since the last time I saw them. Since the last time my real mom told me she didn't trust me around my own little sisters because of who my real father was._

_How could she possibly think I would ever hurt them the way Aden West hurt her? The thought alone made me nauseous._

_"I think," I could taste the salty saliva increasing in my mouth, "I'm gonna be sick." I stumbled to my feet, ran into the restroom and slammed the door shut._

_"Rich! Shit!" I heard Leah curse. I made it to the toilet just in time. If my real mom had taken the time to__get to__know me, she'd know I had a really weak stomach. I wasn't even built to do the vile things my real father had been capable of doing. "Rich, I'm so sorry!" She sounded so remorseful and it wasn't even her fault I reacted this way. "I won't push you anymore. I won't ask you any more questions."_

_"Go away, Leah," I groaned. I didn't want her to see me like this. "Leave me alone." I couldn't face her. I didn't want her pity. I was lying down with my head planted against the cold tile. It helped abate the throbbing headache that was starting to form. Everything was quiet__for a moment. I thought for sure she left, but I was wrong. The door slowly creaked open. I heard the faucet turn on,__and then__suddenly, I felt a warm wet compress against my right temple._

_"I'll never leave you alone," Leah whispered. "Especially not like this." _

_It felt like this soft gentle side of the woman I loved so deeply was shown rarely. That knowledge alone made me feel good. Like a part of her would always belong to just me and no one else. "What can I do, Rich? How can I make you feel better?" So many thoughts ran through my mind with that one request. _

_Leave Sam, love me and when you're ready marry me and have MY babies._

_"Just keep talking to me, Leah," I responded softly instead. I lifted my head slightly and placed it in her lap. She didn't object to my actions. Was this crossing the line? Were my actions causing that divide to blur from friendship into the unknown? At that very moment, frankly, I didn't give a damn. I needed her more than I needed anyone else. She was my air._

_"I don't know what to say," she shakily replied._

_"Tell me a story," I murmured._

"_Fresh out of nursery rhymes," she laughed sadly, running her hand through my hair. This was heaven. "I know Quileute legends though." her pinky playfully grazed my ear and sent shivers down my entire spine. Damn, this woman! She had no idea how something so innocent to her could feel so sensual to me. Leah just didn't realize she possessed my entire being. _

_"Tell me one." I squeezed her legs._

_"Not really supposed to tell anyone," Leah sighed. "It's a tribe thing."_

_"No one knows I exist, Leah." Who could I possibly tell? She wouldn't even tell me her brother's name. "They'll never know." It still hurt to say it, even though I knew it was true._

_Leah seemed hesitant for a moment, but finally gave__in. "Okay," she exhaled noisily. "Well, there's this old legend among our tribe that claims we actually descended from wolves." I could tell by Leah's tone that she didn't believe a word of what she was saying, but I found it intriguing nonetheless. "See, the__Quileutes – my people – are a pretty small tribe,__but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood.__The ability to change from human form to wolves."_

_"You mean like shape-shifting?" I didn't mean to interrupt, but this was way better than any story I ever heard growing up. I had the listen to Mother Goose and Leah got to hear about turning into wolves? That's badass._

_"That's right," Leah confirmed with a laugh._

_"So according to this legend, members of your tribe can turn into wolves, like, anytime they__want?"_

_"Not exactly," Leah answered slowly. "The wolf gene; it has to be triggered by our enemy." I heard Leah let out a hearty laugh. "Can you believe that shit? I mean, come on! There's no way this stuff could possibly be true."_

_"Get back to the legend, Leah." She was getting off topic._

_"Right. Anyway, at some point during the early 20th century, this family moved to Forks near our rez. This caused the wolf to be triggered."_

_"Wait a minute, Leah." I sat up and looked at her. "Who's the enemy?" Leah shook her head and laughed again._

_"Cold ones," she smirked. "Beings that look like men, but are hard as stone and cold as ice." Leah tried to sound as ominous as possible, but it wasn't working. "They feed on the blood of humans." The wheels in my head began to spin. Beings that are cold as ice, and feed on the blood of humans…my eyes grew wide with shock._

_"Vampires!" I exclaimed. My headache had all but disappeared._

_"Hush!" Leah warned loudly. "Or I won't tell you the rest of the story." I pretended to zip my mouth shut and throw away the key. _

_"Okay, now where was I?" Leah tapped her chin. "Oh, yeah. This family moved to Forks near our rez. This caused the wolf__to__be triggered in three members of the Quileute tribe, who phased into wolves and prepared to attack these cold ones to defend the humans in the area. However, the coven leader was able to pacify the wolves by telling them that they only fed on the blood of animals." Leah took a deep breath before continuing. "A treaty was agreed upon between the two groups: This clan of cold ones were not to bite humans or trespass on the Quileutes' land, and the Quileutes would not reveal the vampires' existence to the humans."_

_"Wow," I muttered after a long silence. "Thank you, Leah. You always know how to make me feel better."_

_"Don't mention it, that's what friends are for." Leah elbowed me. I was really starting__to loathe that damn word._

_I shook my head and rose. After brushing my teeth, I extended my hand out to Leah. She was still sitting on the bathroom floor. She took it without hesitation. "You know I'm only one eighth Jewish, right?"_

_"Yes, I remember, you telling me that." Leah nodded, following me out of the bathroom. "You're one eighth from Nonna's father." She sat down on my bed. I walked over to my closet and pulled out my old shoebox. It had several little trinkets inside. Things I collected over the years; ones that may appear seemingly insignificant to others, but were extremely important to me._

_"Both of Gramps parents are from Ireland," I explained, sitting down beside her._

_"I know, you spent two weeks there with some cousins before coming here," Leah grumbled. "The beginning of summer really sucked without you" She had no idea how much I__'__d__missed her, too._

_"I brought you a souvenir." I wanted to wait until the end of summer, but after Leah shared something so sacred with me, I felt compelled to share something sacred with her. "Here." I handed__her the three-leaf clover._

_Leah's lips curled up slowly. "A shamrock."_

_"It's one of the best known symbols of Ireland," I began to say._

_"It__'__s also a marshmallow in Lucky Charms," Leah replied, twirling the plant in her hand. "I love that cereal." I couldn't help but laugh. This is why I love this woman._

_"The shamrock," I finally recovered, "is believed to possess magical properties, and in ancient times they were used by Druids to ward off evil spirits. I want you to have it."_

_"Rich, this is better than the Chuck Taylor's." Leah grinned at me, and as if it were a second nature, she rested her head on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and for the next twenty minutes while we sat in silence, I pretended Leah was mine_.

**Leah POV**

By the time I made it to the shop, Quil was almost done fixing Ester's car. After putting my food away in the break room, I headed towards my office, only to hear that my cousin and Collin were already inside…talking about me. The nerve!

"So how did she take the news?" Collin asked.

"Seth says she handled it better than expected," I heard Brady answer back. "Even after he told her about Embry, she seemed alright." Didn't these two jackasses have anything better to do than talk about me? I flung open the door just in time to see Brady nearly falling out of my chair. Collin was leaning against the wall.

"Hey, Leah!" They both greeted me with excitement.

"What the hell are you two doing in here?" I flung my keys on my desk.

"Can't I just check and see how my cousin is doing?" Brady replied innocently as he stood up. "How are you?"

"I'm doing just peachy," I retorted sarcastically, glaring at Brady before cutting my eyes in Collin's direction. The excitement was gone and a look of nervousness spread across his face as he stared back at me. "And you're here because…?"

"I…um…" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I'm with Brady."

"You're with Brady?" I repeated. Collin nodded his head. "Well, shit," I laughed. "You should let Bree know. Don't want the poor girl waiting around if you two are playing hide the salami with one another." Collin's mouth dropped open, just as his eyes widened. "Perhaps Riley and Diego could give you two some pointers." I winked at him. Bree's adoptive brother had been dating Diego for years now.

"Damn it, Leah!" He trembled. "Why do you have to be so, so…"

I could tell he was struggling for the words to convey how awesome I am, so I decided to help him.

"So amazingly beautiful and magnificent?" I grinned sweetly. "So in-tune with my feminine side its unbelievable?" I added, batting my eyes.

"So fucking mean!" he snarled back. "That's the last time I'll ever spend my time worrying about you." He marched past me.

"That's fine by me!" I yelled after him. "Why don't you spend your time worrying about turning sixteen so you can have a better hobby – like screwing your nineteen year-old girlfriend?!" I whipped my head around to see Brady's stunned expression.

"Get out!" I growled at my cousin. He started to open his mouth. "Not another word, just leave me alone." After Brady quickly made a mad dash out of my office, I finally took a seat and exhaled. I should not have come in today.

Just when I thought I could get some peace, I heard my name coming from a female voice I'd never heard before.

"That's Sue's daughter, right?" There her voice goes again. In most instances any stranger I overheard talking about me would annoy me, and upon meeting them I'd be a total bitch, but there was something in this young girl's voice that made me pause.

Pain. No matter how hard she tried to camouflage it, I could still _hear_ it, _feel_ it, and that alone made me feel kindred to her already.

"Ah-huh. She works in the back office. Lee handles the books, work orders, and our employee schedules." That was Embry. "She used to work the front desk, but Bells does now. She and a customer had a slight _misunderstanding_."

"Misunderstanding?" The girl repeated just as they finally appeared in front of me.

"I kneed a pervy client in the balls for trying to grab my ass," I explained, making my way over from around my desk. "So, you're Ester Moonflower." I tilted my head to the side and folded my arms across my chest. Just like I expected, she was very beautiful, but I wasn't gonna let on I thought so. "Seth said your sister looks nothing like you." Ester moved closer towards me and folded her arms across her chest.

"Abby takes after our mom and I'm surprised you've spoken to your little bro at all," she snorted menacingly, "considering the fact that he's practically moved into Tiffany's house," she added. Girl's got some guts; I'll give her that.

"Actually, he came by the house to shower and change before heading back over there." That's when I noticed the work order to Ester's car in Embry's hand. I took it from him. "He also told me you threatened him. Just so you know, the same rules apply to your little sis." I cut my eyes at her.

"If you touch my sister, I will fuck you up!" Ester snarled, getting directly in my face. Well, damn, this chick was pretty tough. I was impressed and couldn't help but smile at the protective sister standing in front of me.

"You know, I think I might grow to like, instead of just tolerating, your ass." I moved back over to my desk. "I hate spineless bitches. You're definitely not one. If your sister acts anything like you, I may even grow to love her." Considering the fact that she'll be my sister in law someday.

"She's worse," Ester remarked, placing her hand on her hip.

"Even better," I smirked. "Can't wait to meet her."

I watched Embry heave a long sigh of relief. I couldn't really understand why, but for some reason, I genuinely believed I could like Ester. I just had a good feeling about her.

The next few hours flew by quickly, but I was having trouble concentrating. Pretty much the entire pack was spoken for. Imprinted. Dating. Engaged. Suddenly, I found myself thinking back to my own engagement. Not when it happened, but when I had to tell Rich the news…

**PLEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 5 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I cannot thank you enough, you give me inspiration and keep my creative juices flowing. Many stories to come. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

_You Don't Know Me_ **and** _If You're Not the One_

**Chapter 5: Congratulations**

**Leah** **POV**

_"Rich, please say something."_

_I just told Rich I was marrying Sam and since then, there had been nothing but an eerie, uncomfortable silence radiating from the other end of the phone._

_"Congratulations," he finally spat bitterly. "Where are you guys registered? __Gotta__ get the happy couple the perfect wedding gift." By the fake chipper tone in his voice, I could tell he wasn't happy. "When will I get my invite in the mail? Have I been crowned the maid of honor or the best man?" Ouch, that hurt._

_"Why are you so damn mad, Rich?" I couldn't figure out why, but hearing his resentment caused a slight pang in my chest. Almost like heartburn, but worse._

_What the hell was that?_

_"Mad?" Rich hooted furiously on the other end. "I'm not mad, Leah; I'm fucking thrilled!" he added sarcastically._

_"I know you, Rich-"_

_"No Leah," He cut me off, "You don't." Rich's voice was barely a whisper now. "You don't know me. Not at all."_

_You. Don't. Know. Me. Those four words felt like a kick in the gut._

_"How could you possibly say that?" I managed to say after getting over the initial pain of his hurtful words. I did know Rich. I knew he was adopted and the Faust's had not been just his relatives, but were his actual biological grandparents. His real father died in prison. His birth mother wanted nothing to do with him and he had siblings he missed and loved immensely._

_"Just because I shared a few things about my past doesn't mean shit, Lee!" he yelled. "And right now, my past doesn't even matter. What I'm going through right now does!"_

_"What are you going through? Talk to me, Rich…" I was at my wit's end. I just couldn't understand why he was so angry. Did he think my getting married would end our friendship? I could never walk away from Rich. _

_"This isn't going to change shit! We'll still be friends. Everything will still be the same." The sudden thought of losing Rich sent me into frenzy. I had never been this scared before. "Rich?" my voice cracked. I really hated the fact that this man had such a tremendous effect on me. Not even Sam could bring me so close to tears. But Rich could._

_"Leah," Rich exhaled. His voice softened. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You're right. Nothing will change between us. Nothing will ever change. We'll always be just friends."_

_What was that tone? Disappointment? Why?_

_"Congratulations." He sounded a lot more sincere this time, but I knew better. He was still lying. "Sam really is a lucky guy. I have to get back to studying, I have an exam tomorrow morning, and you have school. You should get some rest." He sounded so broken. The burn in my chest returned. "I was just worried about losing you."_

_"Okay," I murmured, feeling defeated by this whole conversation. "We're still friends, right?"_

_"Of course, Leah. Always."_

_Sam and I were going to spend the rest of our lives together. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, so why the hell did I feel so bad?_

**Rich POV**

_Sam won and I lost. He asked Leah to marry him, and she said yes. I took another gulp of New Amsterdam. My second bottle was already halfway gone and so was I. I allowed the raspy classic tone of Ray Charles to sing my sorrows while I wallowed in my own self-pity over the woman I never had._

_You give your hand to me_

_And then you say hello_

_And I can hardly speak_

_My heart is beating so_

_And anyone can tell_

_You think you know me well_

_But you don't know me (no, you don't know me)_

_No you don't know the one_

_Who dreams of you at night_

_And longs to kiss your lips_

_Longs to hold you tight_

_Oh, I am just a friend_

_That's all I've ever been_

_'Cause you don't know me (no, you don't know me)_

_It was my fault. I should have told her how I felt. No, I should've walked away from her the moment she told me she had a boyfriend. I would have saved myself the embarrassment and heartache._

_I never knew the art of making love_

_No, my heart aches with love for you_

_Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by_

_The chance that you might love me, too (love me, too)_

_Sam. He didn't know her like I did. He always tried to tie Leah down, change and mold her into something she wasn't. In my eyes, she was already perfect._

_You give your hand to me_

_And then you say goodbye_

_I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy_

_Oh, you will never know_

_The one who loves you so_

_Well, you don't know me_

_I never knew the art of making love_

_No, my heart aches with love for you_

_Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by_

_The chance that you might love me, too (love me, too)_

_"How did I become the wrong side of the love song?" I slurred to myself, taking another __gulp. My eyes started going blurry just as my bedroom door flung open._

_"He's in here!" __Gi-Gi's__ tone was filled with relief, and she ran over to me. She cupped my face and studied me carefully. "Are you alright, Rich?"_

_"__Gi-Gi__, aren't you a sore for sight eyes," I mumbled, trying to take another sip. She yanked the bottle from me, and tried to lift me off the floor without success. _

_"Matt! Donte! Help! He's too flipping heavy!" __Gi-Gi__ never cursed; it was an endearing, yet pretty entertaining trait. Too bad I wasn't in a laughing mood._

_"Consuela Nina Francisca Maria De La Fuentes?" I drawled with a heavy Spanish accent. "Where the hell did the nickname __Gi-Gi__ come from?"_

_"You ask a question like that at a time like this?" __Gi-Gi__ grumbled, sliding down on the floor beside me after giving up on trying to lift me. "Because," she huffed, "Sony couldn't say Cee-Cee right when we were little. It came out sounding like __Gi-Gi__, and it just sort of stuck."_

_The first time I ever met Consuela, who preferred to be called __Gi-Gi__, was when she joined us sophomore year in college after moving in with me, Donte, Matt, and Sonya. She was Sony's little cousin, but they were more like sisters._

_Matt and Sony tried to set us up, and the idea seemed pretty tempting at first, because __Gi-Gi__ reminded me of Leah, appearance-wise. Pretty sad, huh? She had similar cooper skin, and those amazing exotic features. But after one date with her, I realized __Gi-Gi__ was nothing like my Leah, and __Gi-Gi__ made it pretty clear that she did not find me attractive at all. She already had eyes for someone else._

_"How did I end up here __Gi-Gi__?" I sighed heavily._

_"You fell in love with the right person at the wrong time," she exhaled back sadly. __Gi-Gi__ understood me better than everyone else. She knew what it was like to love someone who didn't love her back. Donte was just too dumb to see it. She, too had been stuck in the shitty little friend zone._

_"We got you, bro." Donte lifted me effortlessly off the floor and onto my bed._

_"Here, drink this." Matt shoved bottled water in my hand._

_"I don't want this." I shoved it back. "I want my vodka back," I demanded like a petulant child._

_"Bar's closed," Sonya interjected. "Water is all you're getting, __chico__."_

_"What the hell are ya'll doing here anyway?!" I didn't want them around. I wanted to be by myself. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to throw shit and even shed a few tears if need be. I couldn't do that shit with them around._

_"We live here," __Gi-Gi__ responded forlornly._

_"And number 2: You've been blowing up my cell with some utterly depressing shit about losing Leah," Donte added with frustration. "Thought we were __gonna__ find your ass sitting outside your window ready to jump!"_

_"And last, but definitely not least," Matt kneeled in front of me, "You cannot lose someone you never had, my friend." I could tell it hurt him to give me the honest truth, but he was right._

_But all he did was piss me off. "Why does she get to have my heart, but I can't have hers?"_

_"No one told your dumb ass to give it away!" Donte yelled back. "You did this shit to yourself, man. Now man the fuck up and get over it!" I stumbled out of bed and shoved Donte against the wall._

_He shoved me back. "I know you're drunk, Rich, but I will beat your ass! Don't take your shit out on me!"_

_"Guys, please don't fight," Matt pleaded._

_"Stay out of this, Matt!" Donte and I both barked at him._

_"I don't know what the hell's your problem, bro," Donte spat. "Have you taken a look in the mirror?" he demanded. "With your pretty boy looks and book smarts, you can have any chick you want. There are more stars out there in the sky…"_

_"And for me, Leah's star shines the brightest!" I interrupted him. "Can't you see that, D? I didn't choose to fall in love with her. It just happened, I didn't have a choice. Did you think I would have picked this fucked up situation?" I demanded, glaring at my friend of fifteen years. "But what do you know, when you just screw any female who comes within a three foot radius of you and ignore the only woman meant for you?" It was time D realized he had someone amazing in his corner. Someone he was totally ignoring._

_"What the hell are you talking about, Rich?" D bellowed. I immediately pointed my finger in __Gi-Gi's__ direction._

_"You see that amazing woman over there?"_

_"Rich, please don't!" I watched __Gi-Gi's__ lips tremble. She had a pleading look in her eyes, but I continued anyway._

_"She'd walk over hot coals for you. But you're so distracted by these other girls, you can't even see what's standing in front of you."_

_D's eyes blinked several times as he stared at __Gi-Gi__ with utter astonishment. She remained tight-lipped. "I had no idea…" his tone softened with hurt by the revelation._

_"Of course you didn't," I scoffed. "__Gi-Gi__ didn't mean to give her heart away either, and you were just too dumb to notice – just like me with Leah, __Gi-Gi__ was too stubborn to say shit!" I wasn't going to let them make the same mistakes I did. They were meant to be. Destined for one another._

_"Still, even though you shatter __Gi-Gi's__ heart day after day with all your bullshit, she loves you to pieces, and that's what I will continue to do with Leah. I just hope you're smart enough to wake the fuck up and love __Gi-Gi__ back." I grabbed my jacket and stumbled out of my bedroom. "I'm going for a walk. No one follow me."_

_I didn't regret what I told Donte that night. Had I not said anything, he and Consuela may have never started dating. A drunken man tells the sober truth and because I said what I did, my two friends fell in love and Donte stopped being a man whore._

_Shit, I really was the best man. Leah and I patched things up the next day and I started preparing to really let her go. It was hard, but I knew it was for the best. Leah promised things wouldn't change, but I knew things would. I wasn't a fan of Sam's, but I wouldn't be the third wheel to their marriage. I would have to truly love Leah from a distance once she was married. I just couldn't take a front row seat to her eternally belonging to someone else, watch her have his kids and live happily ever after. That would be walking down a path to insanity. I had lost so much already. First, Essie and Abby. Now, Leah. I should be used to losing by now. But I wasn't._

**~XOXOXOXO~**

After pulling into the driveway of my grandparents' house, I just couldn't bring myself to get out of my car. I took a long deep breath. "You can do this." I gripped the steering wheel. What the hell was I thinking? Could I really confront Leah? Could I really tell her what she put me through? Or would I take one look into those beautiful dark eyes of hers and fall to pieces? Would I fall under her spell again, like Sony and Matt so eloquently put it?

There was only one way to find out. I pulled my keys out of the ignition and opened my car door. It was now or never.

**Leah POV**

By the time my night came, I was utterly exhausted. I took a quick shower and climbed into bed. Not more than five seconds passed before my phone started ringing. It was Embry.

_"What the hell do you want, Call?" _I snarled._ "I had an eight hour shift at the shop followed by two hours of fucking patrol right after that. Unless someone is bleeding from vital fucking organs…"_

_"_Seth almost phased in my mom's house after hearing some shit about Abby and Ester's past_," _he cut me off.

_"Shit," _I hissed, hopping out of bed. I was already rummaging through my drawers, trying to find something to put on_._

"I have to go check on him. Paul's on patrol and the only thing he'll do is make him angrier."

_"No shit," _I agreed.

_"I need a favor."_

_"I'll be there in ten minutes." _I hung up. I would do anything for my little brother and pack. Yeah, they drove me insane, but they were my family and I loved them even if I didn't want to admit it. Shit, they knew I did. I didn't take long for me to get to Tiff's house. I banged on the door.

"Open up, damn it!" I yelled. "Or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Did she just quote The Three Little Pigs?" I heard a soft voice whisper loudly. "Who does she think she is, the big bad wolf or something?" That must have been Abigail.

"Nah, she's just...Leah. Come on." I heard Ester mutter nonchalantly. These girls had no idea.

**PLEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 6 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I cannot thank you enough, you give me inspiration and keep my creative juices flowing. Many stories to come. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

**_You Don't Know Me_**** and ****_If You're Not the One_**

**Chapter 6: Special to Me**?

**Leah POV**

"Hurry up!" I banged once again.

"Hold on!" The door finally swung open.

"'Bout damn time. Took you long enough, Moonflower." I waltzed in.

"So sorry, Clearwater. I didn't mean to keep you waiting so long," Ester pouted sarcastically. Damn, I really liked this chick.

"I'll let it slide this one time," I sassed back, all the while still slightly grinning as my eyes focused in on who could only be none other than Abigail Moonflower, my brother's mate. He described her to the tee. "Well, shit, girl." My eyes flickered from Ester and then back at Abigail. They were total opposites in appearance, but both very beautiful.. "Seth was right," I smirked, "y'all look nothing alike."

"You and Seth aren't exactly twins, either," Abigail retorted, folding her arms across her chest. Oh yeah, I think I like this one too.

"Thank the great spirits for that," I grunted, walking over to the living room and sitting down on the sofa. "I mean, come on, could you picture my little brother in a dress?" I nearly gagged.

"I don't think I can picture you in a dress, Leah," Ester laughed, sitting down beside me, Abigail joined us moments later.

"Fair enough," I shrugged indifferently, yanking off my black hoodie and revealing the black t-shirt I wore underneath. In large white capital letters it read: _**DO NOT READ THE NEXT SENTENCE, **_followed by:_** You little rebel. I like you.**_ I watched Ester's lip curl up as she read the words. She said nothing but I could tell she approved. "So Abby, Seth tells me you write funny ass stories."

"That's right," Abigail confirmed confidently, sizing me up in the process.

"Can I hear one?" I grinned mischievously. Abigail glanced and raised one brow at Ester, she her little sis a reassuring nod and a humorous grin. That was all she needed to know I could be trusted.

"I'll be right back." My brother's mate shot up and returned seconds later with a composition book.

Abigail flicked through a few pages. "I'm not sure which one…"

"Read her Three Wishes," Ester quickly told her, winking at me.

"That's a good one," Abigail laughed, flicking through a couple more pages until she found it. "Okay, here goes.

_"A despondent woman was walking along the beach when she saw a bottle on the sand. She picked it up and pulled out the cork. Whoosh! A big puff of smoke appeared._

_"'You have released me from my prison,' the genie told her. 'To show my thanks, I will grant you three wishes. But be cautious, for with each one of your wishes, your mate will receive double of whatever you request.' _

Talk about a tough break. To hell with the three wishes, I can do bad all by my damn self!

_"'Why?' the woman asked.'That bum left me for another woman.'_

_"'That is how it is written,' replied the genie._

_"The woman shrugged and then asked for a million dollars. There was a flash of light, and a million dollars appeared at her feet. At the same instant, in a far-off place, her wayward husband looked down to see twice that amount at his feet." _

What the hell was with this woman? How could she possibly wish for that knowing he would get twice as much?

_"'…and your second wish?'_

_"'Genie, I want the world's most expensive diamond necklace.' Another flash of light, and the woman was holding the precious treasure. And, in that distant place, her husband was looking for a gem broker to buy his latest bonanza. _

Okay I get it now; the woman has to be mentally ill or just plain stupid, because only a crazy person would make a wish like that.

_"'Genie, is it really true that my husband has two million dollars and more jewels than I do, and that he gets double of whatever I wish for?'"_

_"The genie said it was indeed true._

_"'Okay, genie, I'm ready for my last wish,' the woman said. 'Scare me half to death.'" _

It only took me two seconds to get the ending. I keeled over laughing. I take it back, this woman is a lucid genius.

"Fucking love it!" Just then, my phone chimed. It was a text from Embry.

**Seth and I are ****gonna**** crash at Josh's place. Abby and Ester got invited to the beach with us tomorrow; give 'em a ride. Thanks.**

"Looks like Call and my brother are staying the night at Josh's mansion. You two are stuck with me. We can drive to the beach together in the morning. Until then…" I reached into my bag and pulled out two DVD's that always made me feel better: Magic Mike and The Lucky One.

"Tatum or Efron?" I waved them both in front of them. We stared at one another for three seconds before replying all at once.

"Tatum first! Efron second."

"Oh yes, I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with you bitches!" Yeah, it was official. Abby and Ester weren't bad at all.

**~XOXOXOXOXOXOX~**

Thirty minutes into watching Magic Mike, Abby and I were immersed in one of the most important debates of my entire life.

Who was better looking; Mike or Adam?

"Are you high?" I exclaimed, staring at Abigail, totally dumbfounded. "Tatum is way hotter than Pettyfer." I whipped my head in Ester's direction. "Help me out, Moonflower."

"I think both of you are wrong," Ester laughed, tossing popcorn in her mouth. "Matt Bomer is way sexier than either one of them!" Suddenly, Ester seemed lost in her thoughts. I wondered who she was thinking of. Matt or Embry. A small grin spread across her face. Oh yeah, Embry – hands down.

"What?" Abigail and I yelled at the same time, bringing Ester out of her naughty little thoughts.

"You need to get your eyes checked, Essie!" Abigail proceeded to steal some of her sister's popcorn. We were so lost in our dispute that we didn't even hear Tiffany come in.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What's with all the commotion?" An amused expression danced across her face.

"I'm glad you're here, Tiff." I stood up and placed my hands on my hips. "I need you to tell these poor misguided chicks that Tatum is way hotter than Matt Bomer and Alex Pettyfer."

"Sorry, Leah," Tiff sighed apologetically, "but I can't." She placed her purse on the table.

"And why the hell not? You don't think Bomer or Pettyfer looks better than Tatum, do you?" I stared at Tiffany in utter disbelief.

"No, of course not, Lee." Tiffany smiled and took a seat beside Ester before slipping off her shoes.

"So it must be Matthew McConaughey, then?" Abigail pressed.

"No." Embry's mom shook her head.

"Then who the heck is it?" Ester demanded, smiling all the while.

"Adam Rodriguez," she exhaled admiringly.

"Tito!" All three of us shrieked at the same time.

"Oh…yes!" Tiff hooted. "I have been in love with that man since he played Detective Eric Delko on CSI Miami. I was so damn disappointed when that show got cancelled," she noted unhappily.

"Well, that explains why you have all ten seasons of it on DVD," Ester observed, pointing at her collection.

"Damn right," Tiff confirmed just as her phone went off.

_I don't __wanna__ be without you babe; _  
><em>I don't want a broken heart.<em>  
><em>Don't <em>_wanna__ take a breath without you babe;_  
><em>I don't <em>_wanna__ play that part,_  
><em>I know that I love you,<em>  
><em>But let me just say;<em>  
><em>I don't want to love you in no kind of way,<em>  
><em>No…No!<em>  
><em>I don't want a broken heart; <em>  
><em>And I don't <em>_wanna__ play the broken-hearted girl_

_No...No!_  
><em>No broken-hearted girl,<em>  
><em>I'm no broken-hearted girl<em>

I was all too familiar with Joshua Uley's ring-tone.

"I have to take this." Embry's mom stood up. "Excuse me," she added, before leaving the room. Ester looked over at me as I shook my head disapprovingly and took a sip of my soda.

"She's still in love with Embry's dad?" Ester whispered, staring at me.

"Yup," I spat. "I guess you can say the heart wants what the heart wants." Even if the heart can't have it anymore.

"I guess," Ester mumbled while rolling her eyes. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"You don't believe in love?" I asked, carefully scanning her face, searching for something - anything that could unlock the inner mystery of Ester Moonflower.

"I believe it exists, but I only choose to acknowledge it in a kinship sort of way.'" She gestured towards Abigail, who was still lost in the movie.

Wow, Embry had his work cut out for him. An imprint that didn't believe in love. But I understood where she was coming from perfectly. It was obvious. Ester had been let down by love, too.

"Maybe if I initially had the same outlook on love as you do, I wouldn't be the way I am now," I stated bitterly, leaning forward. "It's funny, you know?" I smirked, shaking my head. "We make all these plans as kids or teenagers and we never think for one second that it won't turn out that way." Ester nodded in agreement as I continued speaking. "Then one day – in the blink of eye – something happens, totally changing and destroying everything you ever believed in." Ester and I shared the same pain, maybe in a different way, but we understood one another.

"What was his name?" Ester finally asked me after a few tense moments.

Richard Faust. He was everything I never knew I wanted until it was too late.

"Doesn't matter," I replied instead, shrugging indifferently. "It's over now," I added. I would never see him again. What was the point of talking about him now?

I could tell that Ester wanted me to elaborate. "Leah?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"What?" I answered, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"Do you think you'll ever allow yourself to let anyone in again, you know, romantically?" No fucking way in hell would I ever allow my heart to open to anyone else – unless I imprinted. I would have no choice in the matter.

"Only against my own will," I gritted out through my teeth. It would happen sooner or later. Seth and Embry were living proof of that. "We're dropping like fucking flies," I muttered to myself.

"What does that even mean?" Ester asked, sounding confused. Shit. I was really hoping she didn't hear me.

"Essie," Abigail groaned, slightly annoyed. "Can we just watch the damn movie? Can't you tell that Leah doesn't want to talk about this?" She tilted her head in my direction. I must have looked like I wanted to punch something or someone, because Ester finally dropped the subject.

I was going through a lot. There was a time when I didn't dare think of Rich, but suddenly every amazing, difficult, happy memory I shared with him was surfacing. It was becoming more and more difficult to block him out. Yet the pain of his absence didn't hurt as badly as it used to. Was I finally getting over him? Or had my heart officially turned into stone?

"You alright, Essie?" Abigail's sudden concern for her sister put my thoughts to a halt.

"No," she replied. "I have a headache. I'm going to see if Tiff has some Advil or Tylenol and then I'm heading to bed." She stood up and gave her sis a kiss on the forehead. As she passed me, I did my best to look as relaxed as possible. I didn't want her worrying about me. "Night, Clearwater."

"Night, Moonflower." I playfully kicked her. "You better not be all emo tomorrow. I don't want to have to drown your ass."

"You gotta catch me first, bitch," she sniggered, flicking me off and causing me to laugh as well.

"I'm sorry about Essie," Abigail apologized, shaking her head. "She's pretty much lost her faith in humanity," she exhaled. "It died with our father." Suddenly, I felt even more kindred to my brother's mate. We had something in common: the loss of our fathers.

"Do you share the same belief as your dear old sis, Abigail?" I really hoped she didn't. I wasn't sure how Seth could handle something like that.

"No," Abigail replied. "Humanity seems to be reinforcing my faith these days," She blushed slightly. She didn't talk like most fifteen year old girls I'd been around. I could hear a higher level of intelligence as she spoke. It impressed me. "And please call me Abby." I was pleasantly taken aback by her request. It seemed only Ester had been given that honor. I couldn't help but smile at my brother's mate.

"So," I exhaled, "Does my brother have anything to do with your _sudden reinforced faith_?" Abby's blush only deepened by my question.

"Perhaps," she grinned. "He's pretty great." There was something about this girl's smile that put me at ease.

"That he is," I agreed.

"Throw in Tiff's generosity – she's letting us stay here until Mother Moonflower's house is done being renovated." Jake already told me earlier at the shop. Sam's guys were already drawing up new blueprints to modernize the place. "And your mom – she got me well again." She smiled brightly. "Our father used to tell us that this place was magical, Leah." Did Tim also tell Ester and Abby the legends of our tribe? "It feels like it's healing me, what's broken." Her beautiful brandy eyes glistened a little. "I believe it will fix Ester—with Embry's help, of course." She then reached for my hand and shockingly, I didn't jerk away. "I believe La Push will fix you too, Leah."

Who was this kid? Abby sounded like a real life walking-talking teenaged Buddha. There was something about the Moonflower sisters. Something I couldn't place. Something I couldn't understand. I felt a strange familiarity around them. Like I had known them for years. Like somehow the three of us were connected.

Was it the imprint? No, it couldn't be. I mean, I was protective of Bree, Claire, Kim, Rachel, Bella, and hell, even Emily. It was the wolf in me.

However, for Abby and Ester, I felt more compelled to do so. I felt like I would lay my life on the line for them within a millisecond. Why? What made them so different? What made these two girls so damn special to me?

**PLEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 7 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I cannot thank you enough, you give me inspiration and keep my creative juices flowing. Many stories to come. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

_You Don't Know Me_** and **_If You're Not the One_

**Chapt****er 7: Beach Fun & Bad Tidal Waves**

We made it to the beach just in time to catch Embry, Jake, Sam, and Paul in a huge puppy pile.

"Aww, isn't this just a Kodak moment? Where's a damn camera when you need one?" I cooed sarcastically with mocked disappointment as we approached them. "Oh, fuck it – my cell phone will just have to do." Even though it came out a little bitchy, I meant every word. I cared about these guys a great deal. Maybe not Sam so much but definitely Embry, Jake, and Paul.

My feelings towards Embry were the exact same as Seth, he truly was a little brother to me. Jake was my Alpha. Strong and firm but devoted. And Paul, he was male equivalent. How could I not love the male version of myself?

After finally breaking free, Embry whipped around – most likely to make some silly little remark back – but stopped dead in his tracks once his eyes landed on Ester. His face was priceless as his eyes raked over his mate from head to toe and back up again.

"Shit," he breathed out loudly. I guess he approved of Ester's black bikini top and light denim daisy dukes.

Abby ended up wearing a blue one-piece, black shorts, and a black long sleeved crochet beach cover-up. I guess Abby wasn't as confident as her dear old sis, when it came to exposing skin, and I really didn't see nothing wrong with that.

"Well, at least his ass isn't tongue tied anymore," I whispered in Ester's ear.

"That he isn't," she agreed, all the while still smiling at Embry. "And I must admit, I like this Embry a whole lot better."

"Hey, Embry!" Abby happily greeted him. "Where's Seth?" She looked around the beach anxiously. Her excitement in seeing my little brother actually made me smile. Just a little bit.

"He had something he needed to take care of, but he'll be here a little later," Jake cut in. I knew my little brother was on patrol. "It's nice to finally meet you, Abigail."

"You're Jacob?" My brother's imprint grinned happily.

"That's right," he confirmed with a weird smile. "How'd you know?"

"Well, Seth has a lot of pics in his phone of all of you. He sort of showed them to me a few times, told me a couple things about you all so I wouldn't forget your names or faces," she replied.

"Oh, really?" Paul tilted his head, staring at my brother's mate. "What exactly did he say?"

"Well, you're Paul, Rachel's fiancé," she began, "and a total dick." We all started laughing, including the girls off in the distance. "But a good guy all the same," Abby added, smirking.

"That's about right," Paul agreed with a nod, and then turned his attention to Embry's imprint. "What's up, Ester? We didn't get a chance to meet yesterday."

"Hey," Ester replied with amusement. She must've still been thinking about what her little sis said earlier. I know I was.

"And just so you know, being an asshole is not a bad thing," Paul added. "Just ask our girl, Leah, here." Oh no, he didn't!

"I'm not an asshole," I countered with a menacing look, staring back at Paul. "I'm a grade 'A' bitch, and that's Queen B to you."

"Oh! Please forgive me, Queen B." Paul fell to his knees and began to grovel at my feet. He then desperately grabbed my hands and started planting kisses all over them. Disgusting!

"Rach! Please come get your man, he's being gross again!" I hollered, pushing Paul away from me and throwing him, off-balanced, into the sand.

"Looks like you got things covered from where I'm sitting!" Rachel yelled back humorously.

"What did Seth say about me?" Brady cut in anxiously.

"You're Brady: Seth's cousin," she said quickly. "Who's next?" Abby asked, looking around at our group.

"That's it? No smart remarks? No grand personality trait?" Brady seemed a little ticked off. I could tell Abby was holding back what Seth told her about his cousin, as her lips formed into a tight line. She looked back at Embry for what appeared to be guidance.

"Go ahead, Abby. We have no secrets," Embry urged her with a grin on his face.

"He said you were a really good singer," Abby murmured shyly.

"Well, everybody knows that," Brady bragged.

It was true. Brady really sounded a hell of a lot like Bruno Mars with a touch of Usher mixed in, but my cousin tended be a cocky little show off when it came to his voice. In all honesty, I sometimes just wanted to punch him in the face when he got that way. There's nothing wrong with showcasing your talent, but dude, have some humility about it! Just saying.

"Yeah, but he also said you like singing Rhianna and Katy Perry songs at the top of your lungs in the shower when you think no one is around," she finally divulged with a grin that cut through his cocky smile. Brady's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Hell yes, Abby! It's official. I love this kid!

"Oh, man!" Collin keeled over laughing. "How the hell did we not know that shit?! I can't wait to tell all the chicks at school..."

"I think that would be a really shitty thing to do, Collin, especially considering the fact that you still sleep with a teddy bear named Dr. Bo-Bo." With that, Collin immediately stopped laughing while all of us burst into a fit of hysterics.

"No!" Collin shook his head frantically. "That's not true! I don't sleep with him at night anymore! He just sits on my bed for decoration."

"That doesn't make that shit any better, man!" Quil gasped in between laughs. "You're such a pansy, dude!"

"Don't call him a pansy, I think it's sweet!" Abby defended Jake's cousin. "Besides, it's not like he used to dress up in his mom's clothes and high heels when he was twelve and sing I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain, Quil Ateara," she added. "Not that I think anything is wrong with that. I think a man being in touch with his feminine side is a good thing." Abby was gonna fit in with all of us just fine.

By this time, Jared was in tears, trying to catch his breath as he hung on to Paul. Sam tried to remain stoic, but by the look on his face, he was about to burst any minute. Jake quickly turned around and tried to hide his face, but everyone heard his guffaws loud and clear.

Holding Quil down and forcing his ass into his mom's clothes were some good times. I'm gonna have to pull those memories out of my mental archive the next time we all have patrol.

"That shit does not count! Leah, Rach, and Becca used to tie me down and make me do it! Tell her, Leah!" Quil pleaded desperately with me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Quil," I lied effortlessly. "You told us you loved your mom's dresses." I pinched his cheeks. "We just simply helped you try them on – at least that's how I remembered it," I sniggered.

"This is some bullshit, man!" Quil threw his hands up and stormed off.

I watched Claire jump up from our group of wolf girls and go after him, yelling, "Babe, it's okay. All kids dress up in their parents clothes!" Yeah right, Claire, keep telling your man that.

"Does anyone else want to know how I remembered their names?" Abby asked, looking around with the most evil grin on her face. Ester was standing beside her sister, looking upon her with pride and a hint of amusement.

Jared, Sam, and Jake immediately stopped laughing.

"Hell, no!" They all exclaimed at once.

"Let's just stick to normal introductions." Sam stepped forward. "Hello, Ester and Abigail, I'm Sam." God, I hated how polite he sounded. Why couldn't he just be an asshole so it could be easier for me to hate him?

"Embry's brother," Ester replied, looking from Embry and then back at Sam. "You two look a lot alike."

"Strong Uley genes," Sam replied, shaking Ester and Abby's hands. "We'll find out soon enough whose genes are stronger between my wife and me; we're having a baby."

Why the fuck did he have to go there? I'm right here, damn it!

"Wow! Embry didn't tell me." Ester stared at Embry inquisitively, however, Embry's eyes immediately shifted towards me instead. He had the most concerned look on his face. He was worried about me. I could tell. I didn't give a shit about Sam. But I longed for what I could have had with Rich. Children.

No! I yelled to myself. I'm not going to let Sam break me. "Come on, Abby." I tugged her arm. "I'll introduce you to the girls, and Ester, you haven't met Emily yet, Sam's wife."

I glared at my ex one last time with a look that said, Fuck you, Sam Uley, before storming off with Ester and Abby in toe, thinking all the while that those four words would be perfect for my next t-shirt.

The other wolf girls loved Abby almost instantly. It seemed effortless for her, and I could tell Ester was doing her best to loosen up, but she was still very guarded. Considering the fact that she loved Abby so fiercely, I knew she was capable of caring for others, well, eventually. Not everybody is the same. Bonding with others may take a little time with Ester in contrast to her little sis.

Abby and Ester didn't cringe or stare at the scars on Emily's face like most people did when meeting her for the first time. It was as if Abby and Ester didn't see them or just saw past them.

Ester sat down on a large beach towel next to Embry brought by the rest of the wolf girls, and started watching the pack and Riley toss the football around. They were sitting a few feet away. I guess to get a little privacy.

Abby, Diego, the other imprints, and I decided to listen to a little bit of music and just veg out and enjoy the warm summer day.

"Wow, Leah, I really love your tattoo." At first I thought she was talking about the wolf brand on my arm, but instead, she pointed to the other one. The one I got with Rich. The one I got a lot of flak for after I phased, since no one knew about it or could possibly understand why the hell I'd get something like that.

My tribal styled three-leaf shamrock tattoo that rested just above my pelvic bone. "Why a three-leaf clover, though?" she asked curiously.

Whenever I found myself about to slip and think of Rich in the pack mind, I used the tattoo as a distracting focal point. After Rich and I finally got together, we wanted to get something that represented our love for one another. Since we were way too chicken shit to get one another's names, we decided to get something inspired by each other's heritage. Rich wanted to go all out and get a wolf tattoo, but I told him that was way too extreme, so instead, he got two eagle feathers on his arm. I went with the shamrock inspired by his Irish heritage.

Usually, I would just lie, but I just couldn't with Seth's mate, so I kept it short and simple. "It's a long story," I muttered. Even though thinking about Rich didn't hurt as much anymore, I wasn't ready to share my heartache with an audience present.

"I'm sure it is," Abby sighed, looking over at her sister sadly. Embry was running his finger along the inside of Ester's wrist, tracing what looked to be a tattoo as well, but I couldn't make it out. "Most tattoos have very significant meanings to those who have them." A gloomy smile graced Abby's face. "Essie has a cone snail."

Why the hell would anyone get a cone snail permanently inked on them? One drop of venom from this tiny son of a bitch is enough to end twenty human lives. Older folks refer to it as the cigarette snail. It has been said that when this nasty little fucker stings you, you'll have just about enough time to smoke a cigarette before you stop breathing. It's not like it matters anyway, though…there is no anti-venom.

"Do you have any?" I was almost afraid to ask. Abby eyes widened slightly by my question. Then she gripped her arms protectively and shook her head.

"I don't need any," she whispered lowly. "I have something else that tells my fucked up story." My eyes then focused in on her arms underneath the crochet cover up. I finally saw what she was trying to hide.

Pattern burns.

My body began to shake with fury. Why the hell did she do this herself? What had gone on in Abby and Ester's life that would have been so terrible that one of them would be driven to self-harm and the other against love? Was this what made Seth so angry yesterday that he nearly phased in Tiffany's living room? Just as I started to open my mouth and demand some answers, Diego interrupted me.

"¡Dios mio!" he gasped. I whipped my head in his direction just in time to see Embry and Ester in a full-blown make out session. They were damn near dry humping. Did they forget this was a public beach? "I don't wanna see that, chica!" His tone was filled with humor.

Ester pulled away from Embry only to playfully sass back, "¡Entonces deje de mirar!"

We'd found out earlier that Ester became damn near fluent in Spanish after working at some distribution center back where she and Abby used to live, because some of her co-workers spoke very little English and felt more comfortable speaking in their native tongue.

"So I guess this means you won't be delivering my lips to my mom." Embry smirked. I don't even want to know what the hell he's referring to. Ester playfully tried to smack Embry's arm, but he caught it instead and pulled her in for another kiss.

"Get a room," I muttered to myself, trying to fight back a smile. Even though I was in total agreement with Diego, I was happy for my pack bro. Ester was starting to let her walls down with Embry. Maybe the imprints and the rest of the pack would be next. Just as things started to calm down and I allowed myself to focus back on Abby, things went from good to bad.

"Shit!" Claire cursed loudly. "It's the Shadow sisters!"

"Who are they?" Ester asked Embry as the two sisters approached us.

"Topaz and Opal Shadow," Embry replied angrily.

"And their last name fit them perfectly because all those bitches do is throw shade," I added, sounding just as pissed.

"Not Topaz. She just follows behind her sister with her head down like a lost puppy, not even bothering to look anyone in the face." Rachel actually sounded like she felt a little bad for the kid.

Seventeen-year-old Opal Shadow was the biggest pain in La Push's ass. She was a bully

There was not much I could say about her fifteen year old sister Topaz, considering the fact that she rarely spoke and never looked anyone in the eye. Opal was a very pretty, but her attitude was so ugly, it made her unattractive.

Like Rachel, I felt bad for Topaz. To be so fragile and delicate, I couldn't help but wonder what the poor kid went through in her very short life to be that way. She had Opal as her sister and no self-worth.

Ester stood up and dusted the sand off her, while Embry did the same. Within seconds, the rest of us girls were on our feet and the guys stopped tossing the football around. They joined us.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Opal tapped her chin. "It looks like there are some new additions to your little clique," she said bitterly, smiling all the while at Ester and Abby. Topaz jut fidgeted with her hands and looked anywhere but at us. "Ester and Abigail Moonflower, I presume?"

"How do you know that?" Ester glared at Opal.

"News travels fast around these parts," she replied nonchalantly. "I guess it's a good thing. Now the Moonflower name shall live on." Opal's eyes shifted from Ester then back to Abby. "It's funny though. You," she pointed at my brother's mate, "look nothing like the Moonflowers, while Ester here is a spitting image of them." She stepped forward towards Abby.

The only reason I hadn't grabbed that dumb skank by her hair was because she wasn't violating Abby's personal space. Yet. "If you ask me, it looks like your mommy had an affair with the milk man...the white milk man."

Okay, now I was gonna kick her ass, but before I could, my brother's mate leapt forward.

"Fuck you!" she snarled, but Ester already had her sister by the waist, preventing her from going after Opal.

It took everything in me not to grab Opal by the throat and beat her ass right there on the spot. How dare she disrespect my brother's mate? Jacob must have known what I was thinking, because I could feel my Alpha's wolf radiating through me, telling mine to step down. Jake's wolf was that strong, a mere glare could send us into submission even while we weren't in wolf form. Damn him! He never let me have any fun! And believe me, re-arranging Opal's face would have been very enjoyable.

"Opal, get the hell outta here. No one wants to deal with your shit today," Jacob growled.

I leaned over and whispered in Embry's ear, "I'm gonna go get Seth."

Opal had been after my brother for years, but he never showed her or any other girl much interest. The fact that Seth had been spending so much time with Abby had already gotten around La Push. Opal must not have liked that too much. Yeah, shit just got real!

**PLEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 8 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**RICH POV IN THE NEXT CHAPTER**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I cannot thank you enough, you give me inspiration and keep my creative juices flowing. Many stories to come. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

**_You Don't Know Me_**** and ****_If You're Not the One_**

**Chapter 8: Confessions**

**Rich POV**

The room I used to stay in hadn't changed one bit. Everywhere I looked I saw Leah. Memories came back full force, and even her familiar mouth-watering fragrance started flooding my room…

_She told me to stay at school, but I just couldn't. I'd already failed her once, after that asshole she called a fiancé disappeared for two weeks. Now even worse, her cousin – the woman she valued even more than a sister – had betrayed her in the worst way._

_Their wedding was off and Leah had already given Sam back his ring. Technically, she threw it at him and it landed right between his eyes. Wish I could have been there to see that. The woman I loved was now single. I should've been thrilled, but I wasn't. Because Leah was devastated and her happiness meant more to me than what I wanted._

_Before I could even pull out my keys and unlock the front door, Gramps let me in._

_"__Nonna's__ with her. She's in pretty bad shape, son." I dropped my bag and raced upstairs. I reluctantly reached for my door and twisted the knob. Leah was passed out, her head resting comfortably in __Nonna's__ lap._

_"She just fell asleep," __Nonna__ whispered, stroking Leah's hair. "Showed up about six hours ago," she huffed. "Poor dear cried herself to sleep."_

_I made a vow right then and there. If I ever cross paths with Sam __Uley__, I will fuck him up on sight._

_"How could he do something like this to her?" __Nonna's__ lips quivered, her eyes moistened, and suddenly I felt even more pissed. Not only had this coward broken the heart of the woman I loved, but he upset my grandmother as well. Yeah. He's going down._

_"Rich?" Leah rasped, lifting her head. Her eyes had become red and swollen from crying, and her face flushed. Leah was the strongest person I had ever met in my entire life; to see her so frail and broken almost made me break down. Leah appeared so defeated, her confidence all but gone. No matter how much this sight of Leah tore me apart I knew I had to be strong for her. She needed me now more than ever and I had to be to her what she has always been to me. Love. Support. Comfort._

_Nonna__ hugged Leah tightly and planted a kiss on her forehead, "He'll regret the day he ever hurt you, hinny." She gave Leah a brave smile before rising from my bed. Right before __Nonna__ exited my room and shut the door behind her, she gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and whispered in my ear, "Let her know she is loved."_

_When have I not? I always do._

_"I told you to stay at school." Leah scolded me, as she fought back tears. How could I possibly do that? I rushed to the woman I loved and pulled her onto my lap just as she went limp in my arms. Her whole entire body shook with mournful sobs._

_"I'll kick that son of a bitch's ass, Leah," I promised, holding her tightly. "Just tell me where he is." I wanted him to hurt as bad physically as Leah was hurting emotionally right now._

_"That's very sweet of you, but you don't have to do that." She sniffled. "__'Cause__ I already slashed his tires and bashed in his car windows."_

_"Good girl," I whispered._

_"I'm so fucking mad, Rich." Her body trembled in my arms. "How could he do this shit to me?"_

_"I have no clue." It was the honest truth. I couldn't fathom ever cheating on Leah. I saw no one. I only saw her._

_"It makes sense, you know," Leah laughed bitterly. "Emily is everything he ever wanted. Everything I couldn't be. Softer, nicer, wears fucking heels,"_

_"Stop that shit, Leah!" There was no way I was going to let her talk down on herself. "You are perfect in every single fucking way. There's not a damn thing wrong with you. Any man who can't see you doesn't deserve you." Leah's red-rimmed eyes met mine. "He didn't see what I see every time I look at you,"_

_"What do you see?" Leah asked, staring back at me. How could I convey in just a few words the kind of impact this woman had on my life? On me. How she made me feel alive. How my life ended and started with her. Was she even ready or prepared to hear something like this after just breaking up with Sam?_

_"Please Rich," tears streamed down her face, "tell me what you see." The pleading look in Leah's eyes made me come undone. The floodgates opened and I couldn't stop myself._

_"Leah," I exhaled loudly, "The first time I saw you I thought you were a dream."_

_"A dream?" she repeated, her eyes filling with wonder and curiosity._

_"Yeah, because one look into those beautiful dark eyes of yours," I stroked her cheek, "made all of my nightmares go away."_

_Finally! I saw that amazing smile I love so much spread across Leah's beautiful face._

_"You, Leah Clearwater, brought light into my life when I lived in darkness for so long. You have become the reason behind my smile," I grinned at her. "I was never whole until I found you." I leaned forward and brushed my lips lightly against Leah's._

_"I thought," Leah's voice hitched, "you said you didn't see me that way anymore."_

_"The only way my feelings have changed, Leah, is that they're deeper than they were before," I confessed. Leah's eyes widened with surprise._

_Leah slowly climbed out of my lap and took a seat beside me. Her face was unreadable; I couldn't tell what on earth she was thinking. Was she pissed at me for being dishonest all these years? Had I ruined our friendship by professing my true feelings?_

_"Guilty," Leah whispered. What the hell does that mean?_

_"I used to feel guilty sometimes when I was around you because I felt this connection, this pull towards you. One I never felt towards Sam," she added, running her hands through her long hair. "I tried to convince myself it was just the newness of being around a different guy that wasn't Sam. I thought that in time it would fade, but this pull – this connection I feel – has only gotten stronger," she confessed, finally looking at me. "And whenever you leave me and go back to college, it hurts literally," Leah placed her hand over her chest, "right here."_

_"Like heartburn, but worse," I found myself saying out loud without thinking._

_"Exactly," Leah laughed, throwing her hands up, "what the hell is that shit?"_

_"Beats the hell outta me," I chuckled back. At least I knew I wasn't crazy. It wasn't just me who felt the burn. She felt it too._

_"I was sitting with __Nonna__, crying over what that asshole did to me, and pissed about that bitch betraying me, then all of a sudden, I started to wonder if I ever felt this afraid or sad before, and I never had," she admitted, shaking her head. "Then I wondered: what could possibly hurt me more?" Leah slid closer and placed her hand in mine. "Before I knew it, I was crying even harder than I ever had in my entire life because I figured out that there was something that could bring upon ten times more pain than what that asshole and skank caused."_

_"What could hurt worse, Leah?" I shakily asked. _

_"Losing you." Before I could even blink, Leah's lips were pressed against mine. So much love, passion, and desperation could be felt behind that kiss and I was loving every moment of it._

_Her lips were better than I ever imagined. So soft and gentle. The way her tongue twirled around mine sent shivers throughout my body. My hands found their way under Leah's shirt, my hands grazed her nipples, and in response the sexiest moan escaped her lips sending me into a lust-filled haze. I wanted more of this, more of Leah. I felt myself leaning back against my pillow with Leah's body lying perfectly flushed against mine._

_Leah didn't cry herself to sleep over Sam and Emily violating her trust. She cried herself to sleep over the mere thought of losing me. It wasn't all in my head. The feelings I have for Leah had not been one sided. I did a mental victory dance. Finally! I got the girl._

_My heart was racing. I couldn't believe this shit was happening! As bad as I wanted this, I realized everything was moving way too fast. Just this morning, Leah had been promised to another man, engaged! And tonight she was in my bed, ready to give me everything she had to offer._

_"Leah, I want you, but-" I breathlessly murmured against her lips, just as she bucked against my hardness. "Fuck," I cursed. This was going to be more difficult than I imagined. "Your emotions are all messed up right now and I don't want you to do something that you'll regret in the morning. I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you at the most vulnerable moment in your life."_

_"I want you, Rich. I've always wanted you." She kissed me once more and I felt my will power wavering, but I knew that if Leah wanted me as much as I wanted her, it wouldn't change. Waiting was best._

_"Leah," I groaned, reluctantly breaking our kiss, "if you still want me, if you still want this – us – in the morning, then we'll take that step. Let's just sleep on things tonight." As if I could after a kiss like that._

_Leah seemed hesitant for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement. Her body seemed to melt into mine and I was in heaven. The only thing that could be more perfect than this was giving Leah the most precious gift I had to offer. Since she already had my heart and soul, all that was left to give away was myself._

**Leah POV**

There was no time to phase. I grabbed a pair of shorts for Seth and raced through the woods. "Seth," I called, "get your ass out here!"

Within seconds, Seth slowly trotted over to me. I tossed his shorts in front of him. "Phase back, we got an emergency on our hands." Seth tilted his head at me curiously. "Two words: Opal Shadow." Seth's form blurred just as I turned around to give him a little privacy.

By the time Seth and I made it back to the beach, there was no sign of the pack or the imprints. No Opal or Topaz Shadow either. All of our beach equipment was still there. "Where the hell did they go?" I huffed, looking around.

"Leah!" Seth was on his knees in front of blood stained sand. My heart began to pound. What the hell went on here? "It's not Abby's." Seth was right, and it didn't smell like any of the pack or imprints.

"That little snowflake of yours should try out for the football team this year." We looked up to see Luke Cedarwood, a high school senior. "'Cause she sure knows how to take a chick down."

"Her name is Abigail," Seth growled angrily.

"My bad, man." He held up his hands defensively.

"And what the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Your girl, Abigail," he emphasized, "kicked Opal's ass," he chuckled.

Sweet little Abby beat up Opal Shadow? Was I hearing this guy right? "The last thing I saw was your girl being carried away by Embry Call," he added before walking away.

Seth was already halfway to my car before speaking again. "We gotta get to Tiff's house, and fast!"

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

Seth came storming through the front door with me following closely behind him. He didn't even bother saying anything to anyone; he was making a beeline straight for the guest room.

How every single person managed to fit in Tiff's house was beyond me. All of the imprints, every pack member, along with Diego and Riley, were present. The room was filled with so much emotion. Concern. Fear. Curiosity. Sadness. I guess I missed one hell of a fight.

"Seth, wait!" Jake's voice halted him instantly. "Outside. Now. I need to show you what happened." Seth stared at Ester for a moment before doing an about face and heading back outside. "You too, Leah." I hated when Jake used his Alpha tone. It made me obediently follow him outside like a lost puppy. Since he didn't do it unless it was a big deal, I realized that this had to be pretty bad. Once we made it into the woods, we all undressed and phased…

_"You think I give a damn about this pale-faced bitch?" Opal flicked her hair back. "What the hell did you do to get Seth's attention anyway?" She glared at Abby. "Don't even answer that." She threw up her hand. "I know how you white girls are..."_

_"Damn it, Opal! That's enough!" Embry trembled. He was so close to phasing._

_"Insult my sister one more time and..." Ester began, but was cut off._

_"And what? You think I'm scared of you or your sister?" Opal sniggered back at Ester. "Please." She rolled her eyes._

_"You should be," Ester countered. "Ever seen a lion attack a gazelle? Let's just say I'm the fucking lion!" Ester stepped forward, balling up her fists, but Bree pulled her back. Rach kept hold of Abby, who looked as though she was about to lose it._

_"No one is attacking anybody!" Bella spoke up, trying to be the voice of reason as always. "Get out of here, Opal." As if on cue, Topaz grabbed her sister by the arm and tried to pull her away._

_"Let go!" Opal barked at her. Topaz dropped her hand immediately. "I'll go when I'm good and damn ready."_

_"Oh, you're ready," Embry told her. She was pissing off his imprint and he didn't like it one bit._

_"You know what," Ester cocked her head at Opal, "you __ain't__ even worth it." She laughed, taking her sister from Rach and slowly leading her towards her car. I could hear Ester whispering in Abby's ear, "Don't lose it, don't let her piss you off, we're almost out of here." Ester kept repeating that mantra over and over again quietly to her sister. Abby's hands were clenched tightly into fists and it was obvious that she was shaking like a leaf as she continued taking very deep breaths._

_"Yeah, that's right," Opal hooted, "walk away, skank!"_

_"Oh no, you didn't!" Claire snarled in disbelief. She leapt forward, trying to get a hold of Opal, but __Quil__ held her back. We expected this from his mate. Claire had a temper like no other so everyone was rallied around Claire trying to calm her down. Everyone except Embry. His eyes were on Ester and Abby, just when Abby stopped dead in her tracks._

_"Shit!" Ester exclaimed as Abby whipped around and ran full speed back towards Opal, tackling her like a defensive lineman in the NFL! She started throwing a flurry of punches, connecting every single time!_

_Ester was already racing towards her car. Where the hell was she going at a time like this?_

_"Abby, that's enough, damn it! You're __gonna__ kill her!" She completely ignored Embry, and continued whipping Opal's ass. If anyone deserved to get her ass kicked, it was Opal Shadow, but Embry's emotions were dripped with anxiety. He couldn't let it happen at the expense of getting Abby in trouble._

_"Claire, go get her!" he screamed at __Quil's__ girlfriend. Within seconds, she was running over to Abby, who was still manhandling Opal. Claire attempted to pull the two girls apart, but Abby roughly shoved her away, almost making her fall. Luckily, __Quil__ caught her._

_One by one, Rachel, Kim, Bree, and Bella took turns trying to pull Abby off of Opal, but she just continued shoving the girls away, going back to beating Opal's ass. Opal was now screaming bloody murder._

_"A-B-I-G-A-I-L!" she spelled between punches. "Abigail, bitch! My fucking name is Abigail!"_

_"She's too damn strong! One of you guys need to get her!" Bella seemed to be the only one who made sense sometimes. Embry sprinted over to Abby and finally yanked her off of Opal. Still, even in Embry's arms, she continued resisting._

_Topaz was already kneeling beside her sister. "She broke my nose!" Opal cried. "I'm going to the Council with this and will have her thrown off the __rez__," she added as her sister helped her up._

_I couldn't believe what I just witnessed!_

_"I'd like to see you try. You provoked her," Embry argued back, still holding Abby, who only appeared to grow stronger by the minute. What hell was this chick on? Steroids?_

_"I'm not done with you yet, bitch!" Abby screamed._

_"You'll be sorry!" Opal threatened, clutching her nose._

_"Get the hell outta here before I let her go," Embry snarled back. A horrified expression crossed Opal's face and she all but ran off the beach._

_"I swear on everything I love, Embry: if you don't let me go, I'll shove my foot so far up your ass, my toes will be your new fucking teeth!" Abby protested in his grasp._

_Finally, the screeching sound of Ester's tires alerted everyone that she had come back. She came racing down towards them with a syringe in her hand._

_Abby's face contorted into one of sheer terror as her sister got closer. "No! No! No! Please, Essie...I'll calm down on my own," she began begging frantically._

_"I'm so sorry, Abby," Ester apologized with tears in her eyes, "I heard that one too many times, and you never can, baby," she added before sticking Abby with the needle in her arm._

_"It's not my fault," Abby weakly slurred as her eyes grew heavy._

_"I know, sweetie, I know," Ester spoke quietly. Within mere minutes, Abby was totally knocked out._

Who the hell was this chick and what did she do with our sweet little Abby?

**PLEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 9 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I cannot thank you enough, you give me inspiration and keep my creative juices flowing. Many stories to come. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

_You Don't Know Me_ **and **If You're Not the One

**Chapter 9:**** Tough Crowd**

**Rich POV**

"Tell me: where in the guy code handbook does it say, 'the best man can dip out on his groom three weeks before his fucking wedding'?!" Donte yelled into the phone. "I can't believe you, man! If this wedding doesn't go perfectly, Gi-Gi's mom is gonna have my head on a platter as the main course, and your balls as the damn appetizer!"

"Calm down, D. I already told Sony and Matt I would be back in time for the wedding," I tried to reassure him, but D wasn't having it.

"Bro, you're killing me here," He groaned. "You and Sony were supposed to help me figure out which ice sculptures would go best with this Paris themed wedding!" he exclaimed. "Does this mean you're gonna miss the rehearsal dinner!?" He sounded like he was going to pop a blood vessel any second now. I knew this was a big deal, but Donte was starting to sound a lot more like a bridezilla than a groom. I couldn't hold back anymore, I just had to laugh.

"Are you laughing at me?" D asked, exasperated. "This shit isn't funny! I gotta pledge my love before a bunch of ugly ass relatives that I don't even like and a father-in-law who still doesn't trust me." I heard a bit of a struggle, followed by a loud crack. "Ouch, Gi-Gi, that spatula hurts!"

"And you think ice sculptures are going earn his trust?" I laughed again.

"Give me the phone, Donte!" his fiancée demanded. "Rich, ¿Está todo bien?" She sounded a lot less hostile than D and more concerned than anything.

"Yes, Gi-Gi, everything is fine. Look, I know this conflicts with last minute wedding plans, but I just couldn't stay away anymore." The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint Gi-Gi. She had been there for me on so many occasions when I was falling apart over Leah.

"It's okay, Rich; I totally understand," she reassured me. I exhaled a huge sigh of relief.

"You what!?" I heard Donte yell in the background. "But the ice sculptures, babe-"

I could tell Gi-Gi put her hand over the receiver because her voice sounded pretty muffled when she hissed, "Cállate la boca about those stupid ice sculptures!" Her sweet tone returned seconds later once she returned to the phone. "Don't you worry about anything, we have everything under control. If things work out between you and Leah, please bring her to the wedding." I was at a loss for words. After everything that had transpired between Leah and me, Gi-Gi still wanted to meet her. "She can't be all bad if she made you love her."

"Thanks, Gi-Gi." She had no idea how much that meant to me.

**Leah POV**

Once we returned, Embry was sitting beside Ester at the table with their hands interlocking.

"I just have to see her," Seth told Ester with a pleading tone and a worried look in his eyes.

"You don't ever have to ask me permission to see her; I know you care." Ester replied. I was starting to realize that Ester could sense there was something special about my brother and her sister's bond. I watched Seth's chest rise and fall dramatically.

"Thank you," he murmured and rushed quickly down the hall. Bella and Rachel worked silently side by side in the kitchen making sandwiches for everyone.

"Ester-" Embry whispered softly.

"Essie," she cut him off. "Call me Essie. I don't have many friends, but the ones I do have call me Essie." Embry's eyes widened and moistened at the same time. He quickly blinked away his unshed tears.

Their bond, too, had strengthened.

"Thank you for helping with Abby today," Essie acknowledged. "All of you," she said a little louder so everyone could hear.

"We wish we could have helped more," Jake grunted. He was sitting across from Essie, and I stole a seat beside him.

"Look Essie, we understand your past was rough and you don't like talking about shit, but you have to at least tell us what happened out there today. Abby went from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde in a matter of minutes." Jake took the words right out of my mouth.

"Explaining what happened with Abby today would mean having to explain a great deal more about us." Essie's voice cracked a bit. "Can I wait until Seth comes back out? I just hate having to repeat our dysfunctional story more than once in a day."

"I'm right here," Seth spoke up, now standing in the entrance of the hallway. "You can start by telling us what you injected Abby with." Yup, Seth was pissed. The fact that Essie was a fellow imprint was the only reason why she remained unharmed. Our inner wolves were just that protective of their mates.

I could tell by the shocked expression on Essie's face that she knew my brother was angry, but instead of going off, she simply replied, "A sedative. It's the only thing I discovered that works." Essie exhaled sadly.

Essie went on to tell us how she did everything she could to help Abby with her rage issues throughout the years. Abby could be sweet as pie until she got pissed or upset. Even as a child, Abby just didn't react like most kids would with a simple tantrum. She'd take things further. Break things. Punch holes in walls. Abby would scream obscenities, destroy an entire room. And when she was done being angry, she would feel pretty damn bad about it.

"When Abby was ten, she started stealing Diane's lighters and burning herself. She said it helped keep her calm, and I know it sounds twisted, but it did. Still, I knew it was wrong and I tried to get her to stop. It was so hard for her, but she just couldn't." It was then that Bree let out a loud wail. Collin cradled her in his arms while Riley rubbed her back. I could tell that hearing this story was bringing up some pretty jacked up memories of her life with her father. By the broken expression on Essie's face, it was obvious she knew she and Bree had a lot in common. Still, Essie willed herself to finish.

She told us how things took an even more dangerous turn for the worse just after Abby turned thirteen. She got into this really bad fight at school and was arrested. She messed up the other girl very badly; put her in the hospital. Abby was ordered by a juvenile judge to seek mental help. The part of the story that pissed me off most was that their drug-addicted mother was more bothered and annoyed by the fact that she had to get up from her sofa and be a mom that day.

"That bitch," I heard Claire mutter.

"Yeah," Essie agreed. "That's when Abigail was diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder."

"What is that exactly?" Bella asked, taking a seat on Jake's lap.

"It's a mental condition characterized by impulsivity, hostility, and recurrent aggressive outbursts. Individuals who have it have higher levels of two inflammation markers in their blood. Those two markers consistently correlate with aggression and impulsivity," she answered. The room was completely silent with blinking eyes and shocked expressions.

"Huh?" Collin looked around confused.

"Yeah, you mind explaining that shit in English," Paul interjected.

I let out an annoyed groan. "It means when Abby gets pissed off she's liable to whoop anybody's ass."

"That's what Abby meant when she said it wasn't her fault," Embry recollected, rubbing Essie's back.

"Exactly," she nodded. "There's no cure. Mood stabilizers help, but they're not always effective, as you all saw today." Yeah, I wish I could have beat Opal's ass instead. "People with IED don't respond the same way others do when placed in certain situations. Like being called out by their name. Abby loses her cool with everyone except for with my mom, Diane. When Diane hits her, Abby does nothing. I always have to step in."

I hated the eerie silence sad stories brought on after someone finished telling them.

Finally, Paul spoke up from his place on one of the stools near the kitchen. "If it makes you feel any better Es, something like today was bound to happen eventually. I mean, Opal is a straight up bitch – and not in a good way like Leah." My pack brother winked at me.

"That's the sweetest shit you've ever said to me, Paul," I sniped, flicking him off at the same time. Essie smirked and I watched her eyes convey a silent thank you to Paul and me for easing such a tense room.

"Medications and doctor visits aren't cheap…how was your mom able to pay for everything?" Seth asked.

"She couldn't." Essie shook her head as she fought back tears. She slowly laid her head down on the table. "I can't…I can't tell you…" I could hear the shame in her voice.

"Hey," Embry gently whispered in Essie's ear, "It's alright." He continued stroking her back comfortingly. "No one here is going to judge you for what you did in the past, or look down on you. The past is exactly what it is. The past." Once Essie lifted her head, I could see the internal struggle in her eyes. She wasn't sure if she could trust us yet, but she wanted to. "I'm not going anywhere," Embry added.

"And I'm not walking away from Abby," Seth spoke up. "It doesn't matter what she's dealing with. We'll face it together."

"You got some deep dark secrets, woman," I added, "But who the fuck doesn't?" I flung my hand wildly around the room. "You think you're not normal? Take a good look at our group of misfits," I motioned with a laugh.

"We got gay lovers," I winked at Riley and Diego, "former love triangles," I'm sure everyone knew I was referring to myself, Emily, and Sam, "one relationship bordering jailbait tendencies," Collin and Bree playfully glared at me, "and trust me sweetheart; you ain't seen shit yet!" Essie burst out laughing as the tears streamed down her face.

I made her laugh. Mission accomplished.

"You and Abby fit in with us. To hell with normal and perfect, we embrace the abnormal and imperfect. You're home, Essie. You're home." A bright smile edged across Essie's face as happy tears streamed down her face.

Rachel was now standing beside Essie with Kleenex.

"Thanks, Rachel," Essie sighed.

"You and Abby are not alone anymore, Es," Jake said as he reached over and grabbed one of Essie's hands. "We're family and it's not just because our grandfathers were cousins. We are all connected here through deeper lines than that."

Finally after a few minutes, Essie cleared her throat. She was ready to talk. "When Abby got diagnosed, I was working part time as a waitress and still trying to go to school while our mom wasn't doing shit. She was just crashing out on the sofa, drinking heavily, and snorting up pretty much anything she could get her hands on." How could a mother be so damn selfish?

"My waitressing job barely covered the rent and other utilities. We were in a really bad place and we were close to getting evicted. I didn't know what to do. I felt so helpless and desperate. That was until I met Salem."

"Who the hell is Salem, your boyfriend?" jealously dripped from Embry's voice.

"Hell, no," Essie responded and Embry relaxed instantly.

Essie explained that Salem was a real low life who made money in every illegal way possible. He saw Essie as another means to make more. "Salem told me I wouldn't have to sell drugs or sleep with anyone."

"What did he want you to do then?" I cut in.

"Fight," she answered. A few murmured curse words and gasps rang throughout the room. "Apparently, illegal fighting was one of the ways Salem made his money, but before me, the fighters were male adults. He said I was his muse. The thought came to him after seeing me in a school fight that day. Beautiful teenaged girls beating the shit outta each other."

Essie never lost a fight, and pretty soon had quite the reputation under the name Cone Snail Moonflower—which totally explained her tattoo. It turned out there were some pretty unsavory characters that hid behind their wealth and status who would pay big bucks to watch Essie beat the crap out of other teenaged girls. And here I thought vampires were sick, twisted individuals.

These men took the cake. The gig paid well, and Essie would have continued fighting in order to pay for Abby's health insurance if Abby hadn't found out and begged her to stop. Essie dropped out of high school and then got her GED and began working full time at a distribution center. The money was nowhere near as good as the money she made fighting, but it paid the bills and Abby's health insurance. Salem let Essie walk away from fighting because it was becoming impossible for him to book her. He was losing money keeping her.

Ester suggested that everyone go back to the beach, and try to have a good time. Although they were all reluctant, Embry whole-heartedly agreed. Only Seth, Embry, Jake, Bella, and I stayed behind.

Essie, Bella and I chatted quietly amongst ourselves in the living room, while Jake and Embry sat at the table playing cards.

"Tiff's home and she's not alone," Seth announced, staring out the window. Embry slowly rose from the table and walked over to look outside.

The Elders were with her. Josiah Cameron – council treasurer and Jared's dad – stepped out the back and walked over to Tiff's trunk to pull out Billy's wheelchair. As soon as Josiah finished getting Billy settled in, Old Quil slid out. They all looked visibly upset and aggravated.

"This shit can't be good," Jake grumbled, rising from the table to open the front door. "Hey, dad!" he exclaimed, smiling all the while.

"Don't you 'hey, dad' me," he scowled as Josiah wheeled him inside. "We were in the midst of a very important impromptu council meeting this morning with Embry's father via satellite when Opal Shadow and her parents came storming in. Opal claims that Ester Moonflower's sister tried to kill her on the beach today!"

"Dad, that's not even how it went down!" Jake began to explain as Essie joined Embry's side.

"We don't take what she says at face value. We know she tends to exaggerate things," Sue cut in, trying to calm down Essie who was about to come unhinged.

"But something did happen today," Josiah acknowledged, "and we are obligated to investigate all occurrences."

"We heard her dramatization," Old Quil rasped, taking a seat. "Now, do you mind sharing your version of the events?"

For the next twenty minutes, we all sat around and explained what took place at the beach from the moment Opal approached us to when I finally yanked Abby away so Ester could sedate her. After I was done speaking, Ester reluctantly told the Elders about Abigail's condition.

"I have never in all my life met a young lady so set on stirring up such controversy like Opal Shadow." Josiah finally said after several minutes of silence and shook his head.

"So what happens now?" I asked. "How much trouble is Abby in?"

"They will both have to exchange apologies," Billy exhaled. "Opal, for provoking Abby; and Abby for breaking Opal's nose." I couldn't stop myself from laughing. I couldn't help but feel a little smug about the whole situation. Opal deserved it. I quickly tried to camouflage my laugh with a cough, but no one bought it.

Tough crowd.

**PLEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 10 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**To my wonderful reviewers, I cannot thank you enough, you give me inspiration and keep my creative juices flowing. Many stories to come. **

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

_You Don't Know Me_** and **_If You're Not the One_

**Chapter 10: Can't Hide Everything**

**Leah POV**

It was no longer a laughing matter when we found out Opal's mother was demanding that someone pay her daughter's hospital expenses. There was a strong possibly that she may need plastic surgery. If Abigail wasn't willing to pay, Opal's parents were geared up to press criminal charges.

Fortunately, Joshua Uley already volunteered to pay for EVERYTHING. I could tell by the pissed off look on Embry's face that he wasn't too pleased about 'Daddy Warbucks' stepping in and cleaning up his mess without him even asking.

See, even though Joshua Uley returned years ago, things were still really strained between him and his sons. They held a lot of anger and resentment towards him. I didn't blame them, and I mean – who would? Embry decided to let things go. For now.

Josiah once ran his own private practice in Port Angeles, however – just like Joshua – he decided to move his business to our rez to better assist members in our tribe. I guess in a way it's good thing, cause let's face it, with so many jacked up people imprinting into our pack, having professional help around was becoming a necessity.

Given the fact that he was really good at what he did, more than half of his patients continued seeing him. Josiah offered to take on Abby as his newest patient. He would immediately start looking into alternate forms of treatment for her that weren't so invasive. Seth was pretty happy to hear that; he was still really upset about his mate being heavily sedated at the time.

"I'm sorry our first meeting had to be like this," Billy told Essie after things were explained to the Elders. I watched our chief study Essie carefully before continuing on. "Seeing you is like stepping into a time machine," he added nostalgically. "One thing Opal was right about was that you definitely look like the women of the Moonflower clan. I have so many albums I can share with you of your dad in his prime, along with-" Essie stunned Billy silent as she rushed past Embry and embraced him.

"Thank you," she murmured, kissing him on the cheek.

"Well, ahem." It took Billy some time to reign in his emotions as Essie pulled away. "I can bring them by for Sunday dinner."

"Sunday dinner?" Essie raised one brow at Embry.

"Yeah," Embry rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "It's sort of a tradition; something we've been doing for the past few years. The elders, along with the majority of everyone you met at the beach, as well as Bell's dad. It's at Josh's, since his place is the biggest."

"And he'll be back tomorrow," Tiff added, trying to hide her excitement. Who the hell was she fooling? Embry looked down at the floor. He was most likely trying to hide his contempt towards his mom for still having feelings for his dad. I've told Embry time and time and again, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. No matter how he may feel about his mom still loving his dad, there was nothing he do to change her feelings.

"If you don't mind, I would like to check on Abigail before we go," Jake's dad added. I watched Essie's expression change from delight to horror. Instantly, I knew what she was thinking. Opal told the Council about Essie looking like the Moonflowers, which only meant she must have told them about Abby's rather pale complexion.

"She's still resting," Essie responded hesitantly.

"I'll only be a minute," Billy replied, rolling himself down the hall. As soon as he disappeared, Essie looked at me anxiously.

"Hey," Embry took Essie's face into his hands, "it's going to be alright." Essie shook her head, gazing worriedly into his eyes. Within seconds he had her in his arms, rubbing her back comfortingly as if to silently assure her that everything would be okay. A few moments later, Billy returned looking slightly taken aback. Essie slowly pulled away from him and walked towards Billy.

"Billy, I can explain," Essie began to speak, but Billy raised one hand and shook his head.

"Did Tim claim that young girl as his own?" He stared at Essie carefully, all the while his eyes remained kind.

"He did. Abigail has my father's last name, and he loved her as much as he loved me." Essie answered confidently. How I admire her fearlessness, she was so sure of herself.

"Then Abigail is as much a Moonflower as you are. No one will hear otherwise," Billy responded, extending his hand out to Essie. She took it without hesitation.

"Thank you," Essie replied as happy tears rolled down her face.

After checking in on Abby one last time, I decided to relieve Brady.

**~XOXOXOXO~**

The night was still, the hours passed slowly, and the only sound that could be heard was the crickets and small animals nearby. Everything seemed so calm, but it all changed when Embry's frantic thoughts came racing in out of nowhere, along with Essie's stunned expression; she looked ashen, as if all of the blood had completely been drained from her face.

"Call, have you lost your fucking mind!" I snarled angrily.

"She demanded to see me in wolf form," he barked back as Essie's body started to sway. "Shit, she's gonna faint!" Suddenly Embry's thoughts vanished. How could he do something so reckless? I could tell by the surroundings in Embry's head that he was at his dad's place. I raced there with plans to dismember Embry from limb to limb, but was stopped by Jake's massive figure waiting at the front door.

"Look, I know you're pissed, Leah," he held up his hands, "but hear me out. Embry realizes it was a dumb move, but you have no idea how desperate he was." I folded my arms across my chest and glared at Jake. "Essie refused to believe Embry when he told her about us. She cursed at him, and said he was just as fucked up in the head as her mom!"

Damn, that's gotta hurt. My anger subsided a bit. "She was already damn near out the door. He was afraid he was gonna lose her forever. He was at his wits' end!" Jake snarled.

I guess I could understand his logic. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but still: I was pissed. I knew Jake really didn't have to explain Embry's side to me, but he did it only because he knew how protective I was of Essie and Abby.

"Is she okay?" I finally managed to ask through clenched teeth.

"She's still passed out," Jake replied. "But Tiff checked her vitals, and she's fine," he quickly added. I moved past him so I could get upstairs to see for myself, but he stopped me. "Look, Leah, this isn't the first time one of us has done this; showing our wolf to our imprints to prove we're telling the truth."

"I know," I sneered furiously. "_I _don't need a reminder. Kim fainted. Bree fainted, and surprise, surprise! So did Essie. That's strike three!"

"You're right," Jake sighed, shaking his head. "And because of that, I'm ordering you and Brady to never do what Jared, Collin, and Embry did." The Alpha command hit me like a ton of bricks, but I quickly recovered.

"I'm not that dumb!" I snapped, finally walking past him and running upstairs.

Seth, Abby and Tiff were already in the room. Essie was resting comfortably in bed. She was breathing steadily and her heart rate was normal. I immediately felt better, seeing that Abby was awake, but as soon as I got a vision of Embry, I got pissed all over again.

"What the hell, Call?!" Embry whipped around, and immediately starting backing further away from me.

"I don't need this shit from you right now, Leah," he growled as he placed a composition book on the nightstand. He walked over to the window. Did he just turn his back on me? Was he crazy? I was in front of him within seconds.

"Can't believe you phased in front of her, Embry!" I smacked him upside the head.

"Ouch, Leah! Damn it! She didn't believe me! What else was I supposed to do?" he replied, rubbing the sore spot where I hit him.

"You could have called me!" Tiff hissed. I couldn't help but grin smugly at Embry. He wasn't just in trouble with me, his mom was pissed, too. "Surely she wouldn't have thought I was lying as well."

"Tiff has a point. Having both your mom and mine around really helped in convincing Abby that I was telling the truth – no demonstration needed," my brother added. That's because Seth actually had something called common sense. Just then, Essie began to stir in bed.

"I think she's coming to," Abby whispered, full of relief. Slowly, Essie's eyes started to open. "Essie!" Her sister ran to her side and hugged her. "Are you okay?"

Essie slowly sat up and began scanning the room. Tiff took a seat at the edge of the bed while Seth and I stood by the doorway. Embry played it smart and decided to stay by the window until he knew for sure that Essie wasn't pissed off or afraid of him. Her expression showed no anger or fear.

"I'm fine," Essie assured us. "Is it alright if I talk to Embry…alone?"

"Are you sure, Essie?" Abby studied her sister's face.

"I'm sure." Once again that same sureness and confidence I had seen earlier was on her face. This girl never ceases to amaze me.

Tiff rose from the bed. "We'll be right outside." She leaned in and kissed Essie on the forehead before walking out. I felt Essie was letting him off too easily.

"If you get pissed to the point that you wanna get violent, don't do it," I told her. "We're pretty solid and you might break your hand," I advised her. Essie's eyes widened, slightly shocked. "Call me instead. I'll get him good." I winked at her.

"Leah, out of the room!" I heard Jake bellow from outside. Damn him. I quickly stormed out of the room.

"You never let me have any fun, Jake!" I yelled, slamming the door behind me. I wasn't surprised when I saw Jake waiting for me by the stairwell, his arms folded across his chest.

**~XOXOXOXO~**

"We need to talk, Leah." I didn't like his tone as he headed outside and I followed him. Jake had grown in stature since he took on the role of Alpha; making him look even more intimidating than he had before. His broad shoulders were defined in his tight t-shirt. He wears those a lot more often these days, cause Bella loves them. He so whipped.

But in all seriousness, was he really upset with me for threatening to kick Embry's ass?

"Jake, I was just joking," I sniggered. Okay, maybe a little bit.

"That's not what this is about, Leah," Jake replied, walking to his new Chevy Silverado. "Get in." We drove around in silence for thirty minutes before we pulled up to the mechanic shop. It was closed, of course, and there wasn't a soul in sight. He put his truck into park before finally speaking.

"Am I a good Alpha to you, Leah?" Jake stared at me with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Of course, Jake," I said, incredulously. Where the hell did that question come from?

"Do you trust me?" his obsidian eyes bored into mine.

"Jake!" I exclaimed, shocked, "How could you ask me something like that?" I demanded. "Of course. I trust you with my life."

"So you'd tell me anything, without fear that it would get back to the other pack members?" he went on, I nodded my head. Jake was Alpha. He had the ability to shield all discussions other pack members shared with him in confidence.

"Jake, you're starting to scare me-"

"Who is he, Leah?" he cut me off.

I was totally confused and slightly alarmed by his line of questioning. I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Who was the 'he' in question? I shook my head, confused beyond belief. I honestly had no idea. Jake sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Being Alpha, Lee, you should know; not only can I shield others from sharing our private conversations, but I'm awarded other certain abilities. I can see things – like memories – that the rest of you try to hide."

I let out a shaky breath. No! He hasn't seen him, please no!

"I assure you, Leah, no one else knows about this guy. I've been shielding you," he added quickly.

My pulse quickened. No, he's not referring to who I think he is! There's no way he knows about Rich.

"Usually it's easy for me to see right through the walls all of you put up," Jake went on, "but yours are the hardest. That brick ass wall in your damn noggin leaves little room for even a damn window." He chuckled to himself before growing serious again.

"Most times I never needed to shield you because you've been doing it yourself. Locking it away from prying eyes," he continued. "Perhaps you're an Alpha female, because honestly, I hadn't even really seen him until a few days ago and even with everything I've tried, I still don't see him clearly."

Alpha female? I never would have thought of myself as that.

"I can't even get a name, but his eyes come in quite clear. Green, right?" I found myself nodding. "And his eagle feather tattoo," he added.

I shut my eyes just as the vivid designs of Rich's tattoo filled my thoughts. I could still see the amazing ripples in his arm as the simple black lines that formed into two separate feathers. At the very top they were joined. One represented him. The other represented me. Two souls connected forever. So I thought.

I had dropped my guard. I had gotten too comfortable in my head. Damn it! I was so angry with myself. Livid tears started to stream down my face.

"I wouldn't pry if I didn't feel the need to, but it's the emotions you carry when you think of this guy. You never even felt that way about Sam. Lee, please." I could hear the insistent tone of his voice—the sheer concern.

"I can't, Jake. I can't talk about him. It just hurts so much." The burn in my chest intensified. "It's been almost three years since I last saw him," I croaked. "He was everything to me."

"Three years!" Jake gasped. "That's how long you've been holding this in? Shit, Leah," he cursed. "I'm so sorry, I never realized you were dealing with so much." The remorse in his voice rang through as Jake tried to reach out towards me, to lend a comforting hand, but suddenly I wanted to be out of here, away from it all.

I swung the door open and made a mad dash into the cool clear night. Jake didn't call after me. I spent the next several hours crying on the beach, cursing my life and how it became this way.

**~XOXOXOXO~**

Right before the sun came peaking over the horizon, I made my way back to Embry's dad's house. No matter how bad I felt, I just had to make sure Essie was okay.

Jake was waiting for me. Shit.

"Jake, I don't really want to talk about him." I was physically and emotionally exhausted.

"I'm not going to ask you again, Lee," he assured me, extending his hand out. This time I didn't pull away as he gripped my hand. "Whenever you're ready, I'm here to listen."

"Thanks, Jake," I whispered softly just as Jake pulled me into a hug. "And I promise that when I'm ready to talk, I will." I slowly pulled away.

Jake gave me a sad smile and exhaled. "Essie and Embry talked things out. Both of them are still sleeping."

Well, that's good, I guess. At least someone's happy.

"Abby's fine too," he added. "She's resting with your brother." I didn't say anything else; I just merely nodded and headed upstairs.

"Leah?" I turned around to see Jake nervously fiddle with his hands before looking at me. "What is it about Essie and Abby? I mean, I know you're protective of the other imprints, but with them, it's different. It's stronger," his voice was soft and inquisitive. "What makes you care so much for them?"

If I knew the answer, I would tell him, but I just didn't know why my need to look after them was so great. My connection to Abby and Essie was sisterly, even motherly at times. I felt devotion towards them beyond my own understanding.

"I don't know, Jake," I answered honestly. "I just feel like I know them somehow. I can't place it." I'm sure I sounded crazy, hell, I felt crazy. "And I feel this urge to look out for them," I exhaled. "They matter to me."

"I know they do," Jake agreed. "I just wish I knew why." He sounded just as frustrated as I felt. "Get some rest, Lee." My Alpha didn't press me any further. I made my way to the room I slept in whenever I was at Joshua's place and finally allowed sleep to wash over me.

**LEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 11 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Thanks once again for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**Since my wonderful reviewers gave me a whole lot of love last chapter, I decided to update a whole day early!**

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

_You Don't Know Me_ **and **_If You're Not the One_

**Chapter 11: Revelations**

**Rich POV**

_And now again I've found myself __  
><em>_So far down, away from the sun __  
><em>_That shines into the darkest place,__  
><em>_I'm so far down, away from the sun__  
><em>_That shines to light the way for me__  
><em>_To find my way back into the arms__  
><em>_That care about the ones like me.__  
><em>_I'm so far down, away from the sun again_

"Donte's right," I groaned to myself drowsily, reaching for my cell phone, "I really need to change my ringtone." It was utterly depressing. The number was unknown, but I answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Um," I could hear the hesitation in a man's voice. "Can I speak to Richard Desmond?" Desmond? I hadn't been called that name since I legally changed it to Faust when I turned eighteen. All my drowsiness disappeared, and I sat up in bed.

"This is Richard," I confirmed, trying to hide the curiosity in my tone.

"I know this might sound crazy, but my name is Embry Call, and I'm calling on behalf of your sisters, Ester and Abigail Moonflower."

"How did you get this number?" I demanded, stumbling out of bed. I immediately reached for the pair of jeans I laid out the night before.

"I kind of-sort of hired a private investigator to find you," Embry replied hesitantly.

"You hired a what?" I was in shock. Was this guy for real?

"I had no choice, I had to find you," his tone was filled with a sense of urgency, "Your sisters, they ran away from home-"

"Wait a minute," I cut him off. It felt like my brain was on overload now. "Why did they do that?" My mother sure as hell didn't want me, but she was protective enough of my sisters not to want me around them. Why would someone be calling me to help?

"Your mom relapsed," he muttered sadly, "and Essie had to drop out of school to look after Abby."

"Damn it!" I had never felt this angry and upset in my entire life. I was pissed at my mom, but more than anything, I was pissed at myself. I should have never listened to Diane. "She lied to my grandparents!" I huffed my thought out loud. "My mom calls them every few weeks or so just to prove she's clean. She always sounded so convincing," I murmured remorsefully.

I should have never left them with her, but I hadn't been able to think straight after she said those horrible things to me that day. Guilt coursed through my body and I was finding it difficult to stand. I sunk back down on my bed.

After a long eerie silence, Embry spoke again. "Essie and Abby don't understand why you left," he sighed into the phone. "Essie saw you and your mom outside arguing that night you took off. She was looking out the window."

"I had no idea," I admitted sadly. Did that mean my sisters still wanted to see me after all this time? Was there a chance for us to reconcile?

"Did…Did the fight between you and your mom, have anything to with your real father, Aden West?"

My blood ran cold. How did he know who my real father was?

I listened to every sorted detail Embry's private eye had dug out in regards to my father. He knew how I had been granted an interview with Aden West the night before his execution. And, how later I wrote down the account in my very first crime novel _Facing Evil _detailing every crime he ever committed including the ones—the police didn't even know about. _Facing Evil_ was listed as one of the most critically acclaimed true crime novels. From then on, my career took off while I was still in college.

"His last victim-" his voice sounded hesitant, "your mother, survived. She played dead while he dumped her body in the woods, somewhere in Vegas. She managed to crawl to the nearest freeway." Embry's kind and concerned voice kept my anger at bay and I listened as he retold me the events I was already well acquainted with, "since your mom was a minor at the time, her name was never released to the public. Even during her testimony, which detailed the disgusting things she endured during her time in captivity, everything was pre-recorded and her voice had been altered so no one could tell who she really was. It didn't matter either way. The evidence they had on him was ironclad. Aden West's case never went to trial, he ended up pleading guilty."

"How did find out all of this?" My voice was now barely a whisper. "This information was never made public. No one even knows my real father is Aden West!"

"My private eye, knew a guy who happened to be one of the original lead investigators over twenty-some odd years ago. He's retired now, but still keeps very pristine copies of everything from the testimony of Imogen to other information that was never made public." Over the years I had conditioned myself to be numb with my feelings towards my birth father and mother. They both hurt me in different ways, it was the only option that worked for me, but suddenly everything I held in was surfacing all at once sending me into emotional overdrive, the room felt like it was spinning, my palms began to sweat and my throat had gone dry. I found myself taking deep long breaths as I tried to calm myself down.

"Did you leave Abby and Essie all those years ago because of all of this?" Embry asked me once again.

"Yes," I rasped after recovering. "She-" I swallowed hard, "_Diane_/_Imogen_ said she didn't want me around Essie and Abby because she didn't trust me around them. She thought I was just like my father." Her words still hurt and haunted me to this very day. "She also said she couldn't love someone who looked so much like the person she hated most."

I'd never told anyone this story except for my close circle of friends and my grandparents. Leah only knew a very condensed version. And I didn't know why I let it slip from my lips to this stranger on the other end of the phone. Hell, I didn't even tell my adoptive parents. "But I am nothing like my father. I swear to you! I would never-"

"I believe you, Richard," Embry replied before letting me finish. "Essie said you were the best. She said you fit in with her and Abby as if you three had grown up together. Even though she got to only spend a week with you."

"It was one of the best weeks of my life," I admitted. "I would really like to see them. Explain my side of the story and apologize." Maybe I could look for Leah afterward.

"That's exactly why I'm calling," Embry went on. "Tonight is Sunday Dinner. Abby and Essie are the guests of honor, and I think you'd be a great surprise. What do you say?"

"I say," I stood up, "I'll be there."

**~XOXOXOXOXOX~**

**Leah POV**

"Rise and shine, beautiful!" Bree's annoyingly chipper voice sang out just before she peeled back my curtains to let the sun in.

"Go away," I groaned, turning over. I was far too exhausted.

"No can do," Bree yanked my cover off. "You, me, and Tiff have been hand-selected by the pack to take Essie and Abby shopping in Port Angeles. Embry and Seth have a big surprise planned for them at Sunday Dinner."

"Surprise?" I yawned. "What surprise?" My hair was all over the place and I was in desperate need of a shower!

"Sorry, Leah, but your pack brothers think you can't keep a secret when it comes to _your_ girls."

My lips curled up slightly. The guys called Essie and Abby 'my girls'. That meant a lot to me. Still, I was a little pissed about not being in on the secret. Mouthwash. I needed mouthwash, too.

Just then, Abby ran into my room, followed by Embry's mom. "Good morning, my stunning she-wolf!" she giggled, jumping on my bed a few times before her impromptu tackle transformed into a hug. "Up! Up! Up!"

Gosh, is she always this damn chipper when she wakes up? I gotta get used to this. Maybe I should breathe on her. That'd teach her a lesson.

I finally climbed out of bed. Luckily, we all kept clothes here so I wouldn't have to run home. After showering, I thoroughly brushing my teeth, and got dressed, I met Tiff, Bree and Abby in Embry's room. Essie was still asleep.

"Wakey, wakey, sissy." Abby used her index finger to playfully tap Essie's nose.

"No," Essie grunted drowsily, "five more minutes." Seems that neither Essie nor I were morning people. I watched her squeeze her eyes tighter, and I fought back a snigger. She finally opened them, only to see Abby's smiling face in her line of vision. Abby unfolded a piece of paper and began reading it to herself.

"What's that?" Essie gestured at the note.

"A letter Embry left for you on the nightstand," Abby replied nonchalantly as she continued reading.

"Nosey!" Essie admonished, snatching the letter from her sister. She must've liked what it said, because the biggest smile appeared on Essie's face. After folding the note back up and setting it on the nightstand, she realized that she and Abby weren't alone.

"What's going on?" She eyed us suspiciously; however she appeared a lot more relaxed than she'd ever been since coming here.

"Embry and Seth have a surprise for us!" Abby all but squealed as she hopped off the bed. "They're bringing it to Sunday dinner." Okay, no one needs to give this kid any coffee; she's wired on her own.

"Okay…" Essie replied uncertainly with a small smile on her face.

"We're going shopping in Port Angeles. Seth and Embry want you two to look your best," Tiffany replied with a grin. "Embry said you worked things out last night?" Essie nodded once, unable to prevent the little grin from spreading across her face. "That's wonderful!" Embry's mom extended her hand towards hers and squeezed it gently before rising.

Essie stared at Collin's imprint curiously. They hadn't really spent much time together. I guess she probably wanted to know why she was here.

Bree must've clued in on it because she pivoted her weight on one foot nervously and then cleared her throat. "Embry and Seth want you and Abby to get to know all of us girls. We only really have each other to truly be ourselves with. They figured I should be the one to hang out with you two first, considering the fact that we sort of grew up in similar shitty situations." Ain't that the truth?

"Sounds like a plan," Essie smiled at her. Bree relaxed instantly.

"Can we eat lunch first before we start all this damn shopping?" I just couldn't take it anymore. I placed my hand on my hip. "I'm starving," I whined. "I can't believe Seth didn't wake me up for breakfast."

"Lunch?" Essie repeated.

"Yeah, it's already almost eleven," Embry's mom replied. "I brought you some of your clothes from my place." She pointed to a small overnight bag sitting on the sofa. "Get showered and dressed. We'll be downstairs."

About an hour later, we were all loaded in Bree's Ford Escape. We decided to stop somewhere and eat first. Once we got to Port Angeles, I suggested Kokopelli Bar and Grille because Abby really wanted seafood. And they have awesome seafood.

Essie sat next to me, while Abby, Bree and Tiff sat across from us. Our waiter turned out to be a guy named Hector who wouldn't stop making goo goo eyes at me. He wasn't a bad looking guy, but I wasn't interested. I didn't have the best track record when it came to men, not to mention that I was starving.

"Let me get the crab cakes to start off, and your soup of the day. I really don't care what it is," I flipped through the menu quickly, "and I'll have Pasta La Casa, followed by the Kokopelli cheeseburger, extra pickles with everything on it and…" I handed Hector back the menu, "a diet coke to drink."

"I love a woman who isn't afraid to eat real food," Hector commented as he took the menu. Essie immediately started laughing; poor Hector just couldn't take his eyes off me – until Tiff cleared her throat.

"I'll just have the house salad and water," she grinned at him.

"The crab cakes actually sound really good, Leah." Abby stared at her menu. "I'll have that and a Pepsi."

"Fish and chips with a water," Bree remarked. "No ice."

"And I'll have the Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad," Essie finally ordered, "with a coke."

"Well, I will be back soon with your drinks and your crab cakes." Hector gave me one more admiring gaze before walking away.

"Damn, Leah," Essie laughed, "you should put that guy out of his misery and give him your number."

"Yeah, he was so cute; he reminds me of Diego." Bree took a quick glance at Hector, who was getting our drinks together some distance away. "But in a totally more macho and straight sort of way," she added, making our whole table laugh, but I couldn't bring myself to join in. Dating was not an option for a girl like me.

"He's cute and all," I said, playing with my napkin and taking a look at Hector, who grinned at me before getting back to work. "But what's the point? He's not my imprint," I muttered dejectedly. When I phased for the first time, I saw imprinting through my pack's eyes. I also discovered that same night the true reason behind why Sam dumped me for my cousin. Emily was his imprint. There was no way I would put Rich through that. I was too much of a coward to even face him. I just never spoke to him again.

"Do you even want to imprint? Because I was under the impression that you weren't too excited about the idea," Essie asked as Hector returned with our drinks, along with our crab cakes.

"The rest of your food should be out shortly. If you ladies need anything else, don't hesitate to let me know." Once again, Hector was only looking at me.

"We sure will," Tiff cut in with a smile. Once Hector was gone, we picked back up where we left off.

"I don't mind imprinting. I just don't want it to be to a stranger," I finally answered. "No offense to you chicks," I added, looking at Bree, Abby, and Essie. "It's just," I sighed heavily, "I want to," I shut my eyes briefly, "no," I shook my head, "I need to have known them first."

"Why?" Abby asked. "What's the difference between them being some next door neighbor you knew all your life, versus some random stranger you bump into on the sidewalk? It's an imprint. Period."

"Everything," I declared. "_I_ have to know I felt something for that person beforehand." Rich and I had such a deep connection. How could anyone ever compare? "Jared had classes with Kim for years. Years!" I repeated. "And he never so much as even looked in her direction, but then he phases and now suddenly, the sun sets and rises on her ass." A small snarl escaped my mouth as I stabbed my crab cake.

"Leah," Bree uttered as I glanced up from my plate, "from what Collin told me, Jared never noticed any girls. He was always more focused on wood shop, sports, and other shit. Had it not been for all of those distractions, I think he would have noticed Kim early on. I mean, Paul used to always think Rachel was so beautiful before the imprint even took place."

"That's right," Tiff agreed, "And don't even get us started on Bella and Jake." Both Bree and Embry's mom groaned playfully. I tried not to gag. Abby and Essie laughed. "I remember as a child how he followed Bella everywhere. They were so perfect for one another, even back then. He was so devastated when Charlie and Rene divorced and he found out that Bella was leaving." She shook her head and frowned just as Hector returned with our food. Everything looked so good. He handed each of us our plates, paying particular attention to me. Poor kid, he was a lost cause.

"Hey, Leah?" I lifted my head from my plate to look at Essie. "Why do you like me?" I tilted my head and raised one brow at Essie. "It's just from what Embry told me; you don't warm up to folks easily."

"That's an understatement," Bree smirked. "She downright hates everyone in the beginning."

"So what makes us so different?" Essie gestured towards herself and then nodded towards her sister, Abby.

"It's the imprint bond," Tiffany said out loud. All three of us stared at her in confusion.

What the hell was she talking about?

**LEASE REVIEW & A SNEAK PEAK OF CHAPTER 12 WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX SUNDAY**

**Rich is coming!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Beta'd by the magnificent and creative Sparkling-Iris and the oh-so-very extraordinary and very tremendous Aretee!**

**A million thanks to those who added YDKM to their alerts/favorites**

**Pictures of original characters/imprints and places are on my profile under:**

_You Don't Know Me_** and **_If You're Not the One_

**Chapter 12: Imprinted!**

"I haven't imprinted on Essie!" I whispered loudly. I looked over at Embry's mate who was now giving me an odd look. Don't get me wrong, Essie's a beautiful girl, and if she wasn't imprinted with my best friend, and I had totally given up on the male species, she would be at the top of my list, but she is totally lacking in the lower equipment department!

"I mean, you're cute and all, chick, and if I was a lesbian, you'd so be my type, but don't let the whole tomboy look fool you: I like penis, thank you very much!"

I must have been a lot louder than I thought, because a group of younger guys a table or two across from us began chuckling. "What the hell are y'all laughing at?" I demanded, glaring at them. The guys immediately stopped and went back to eating their food. After a few minutes, I leaned forward. "What the heck are you going on about, Tiff, with this imprint bond?"

"I'm talking about Seth and Abby," Embry's mom explained. Just at hearing his name, Abby's cheeks blushed ridiculously and her smile widened.

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked, looking over at Abby for a moment and then back at Tiff.

"Just hear me out," Tiff began, "Bree and Riley are siblings. Who is Riley closest to out of all the pack members?"

"Collin," I replied without hesitation.

"That's right," she agreed. "Rachel adores Diego. Paul and Diego are very close. Paul and Jake have an awesome bond as well. It's come to my attention that imprinting doesn't just affect the imprinter and imprintee; it affects everyone close to them." I never really thought of that.

"In Quileute pack history, there have never been sibling shifters. Now we have two. You and Seth. Embry and Sam."

"There weren't any girls, either," I growled, taking a bite of my food. Even though I was angry I was also totally famished, and this crab cake was amazing!

"You were already so close to your brother before the two of you phased, and even closer afterwards." I stopped eating and finally looked up at Tiffany. "Leah, you took to Abby because she was with Seth. I believe Seth and Essie will become close as well because she's Abby's sister. Just like I believe Sam will be very close to Essie, since Embry is his brother. You became friends so easily with Abby and Essie because of the imprint."

I leaned back in my seat and soaked in Tiff's words. It did make sense, me being so attached to Abby because of Seth. But why was I so attached to Essie? I mean, if that was the case, shouldn't I care more for Abby since she was Seth's imprint? I cared for them equally. "You feel that bond, too, don't you, Leah?" Tiff asked.

"I'll admit," I took a long sigh and took another bite "that I do feel more protective of Abby." I stared at Seth's imprint and then shifted my eyes towards Essie as I swallowed. "But I feel protective of you, too." I pointed my fork at Tiffany. "Have you talked to the Council about this?"

"Yes, it's actually what we were discussing when Opal Shadow stormed into our council meeting with her parents yesterday," Tiffany answered as my little sister exhaled loudly, placing her fork on the table.

Abby's face was filled with remorse. "I can't believe I broke her nose." But the chick had it coming!

"It's alright, Abby," Embry's mom cooed gently rubbing little circles on Abby's back. "Although I don't condone violence, I understand that sometimes a person's anger can get the best of them." Hell yeah, and a bitch like Opal Shadow could turn the nicest person evil! "You're a good person, Abby. Always remember that."

Abby's smile finally returned. Tiff was a good person and a great mom. She always knew what to say to make things better.

"Alright, ladies, let's finish eating so we can get shopping." Tiffany grinned at us.

I had a feeling that Essie and Abby would warm up to Bree. She was pretty cool. Bree didn't do much talking; she was a better listener, which I guess worked out perfect, because Abby never stopped talking. Bree found the perfect navy blue flared skirt for Abby.

We split up to find shoes. Abby went with Bree, while Tiff, Essie, and I stayed with each other. We spent most of the day just goofing around with one another, but our conversation got a little serious when we headed to the bathrooms. Essie was sitting on the countertop picking at a hole in her pants while I washed my hands. Surprisingly, there was no one else in sight. Tiff was waiting outside.

"Leah?" Her voice sounded a little uncertain. "Will you ever stop hating Sam for imprinting on Emily?"

Wow. She had balls. It was a lingering question that I heard in the minds of my pack brothers for years, but only Essie had been brave enough to ask it out loud.

I quickly dried off my hands and then hopped up on the counter beside Essie.

"I don't hate Sam," I admitted with a resigned tone.

"You don't?" Essie stared at me incredulously. I shook my head. "Then why did you look like you wanted to sock him in the jaw on the beach when he mentioned Emily's pregnancy?"

"You noticed that, huh?" I exhaled, Essie nodded. "I've been misdirecting my anger for years," I answered honestly, taking a deep breath. I couldn't believe I was actually confessing this to Essie, but the more I spoke, the better I felt.

"I admit I was pissed when Sam first left me for Emily, but I got over it a long time ago. Sam just seemed like an easy target, ya know? Everyone thinks I'm pissed about losing him, but I'm angry because I lost someone else in the process of all this messed up shit." I threw out my hand wildly.

"I fell in love with someone almost right after Sam and I broke up." Essie's eyes grew wide with shock. Bet she wasn't expecting that.

"To tell you the truth," I smirked, shaking my head, "thinking back now, I fell in love with him the very first moment I laid eyes on him, but I was just too damn stubborn to realize it." I smiled at the memory, thinking back on the first day I met Rich, how he made me feel; the intense emotions he ignited in me. No one ever made me feel that way. Not even Sam. Only Rich.

"Anyway," I sighed heavily, "I was going to tell everyone about us, but I wanted to wait until the rest of my family got over the initial shock of me and Sam breaking up. The last thing I wanted anyone to assume – including Sam – was that I had been seeing someone else behind his back."

Although that's what I thought he and Emily were doing behind mine. I mean, could you blame me? Essie nodded understandably.

"But I never got the chance to tell anyone," my voice shook a little. Essie reached for my hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "That night when I decided to finally tell my family about him, I phased." I lost my dad, too. But I wasn't even going there with my voice already betraying my feelings. "And that night I found out about imprinting. I couldn't do to him what Sam did to me. I just loved him too much."

"Leah, I'm so sorry that happened to you." Essie's words felt so genuine and they actually made me feel a little better. "I know what that feels like. To love and lose someone."

"Your dad?" Abby had told me all about him.

"Not just him. My brother, too." Now it was my turn to be shocked. No one ever told me about Abby and Essie having a brother. But then again, I hadn't spent that much time with my pack brothers alone since Essie and Abby showed up.

"After my dad died of colon cancer, my mom was sober for some time and things were pretty decent." I watched nostalgia cross Essie's face.

"Diane wasn't close to her family. She never talked about her parents or what her life was like growing up as a kid. I can only assume it must have been pretty shitty, considering the fact that she never even told us her maiden name. I guessed that was why we rarely got any visitors. But one day, there was this really handsome young guy standing on our front porch with my mother's smile staring back at me." Her lips curled up slightly, but there was still so much sadness in her eyes.

"Turns out he was our brother. Diane had him when she was Abby's age." Damn, that means she was only fifteen. "The most selfless act my mother ever committed in her miserable life was giving him up for adoption. He had a chance at a better life and from what he shared with us about his adoptive parents, it worked."

Well, I guess that's a good thing, right? I mean, Abby and Essie's lives had been filled with so much turmoil. Their brother could have ended up with the same thing.

"I thought to myself, 'Finally,'" she laughed a little, "'my mom's clean and now Abby and I have the big brother we always wanted!'" Her lips began to tremble and I could see tears starting to form. I could tell his wasn't easy to talk about.

"Essie, you don't have to tell me." I hated the fact that this was upsetting her. I didn't need my shit to spread into hers.

"I want to, Leah. I already told Embry, and the rest of the pack already knows. They heard all about this last night, and it doesn't hurt as bad repeating it again. All of you gave me a newfound source of strength." She smiled bravely at me.

"Okay, Es, go on."

"He really was the brother I always wanted. He was amazing. He fit in with Abby and me as if we had all grown up together." Essie took a long deep breath. "But it didn't work out. Our brother spent a whole week with us. That following Monday morning, I woke up to see my mom and him talking outside. I was standing at the front window. They didn't see me." She shook her head. "Even at ten, I knew that whatever it was they were talking about had to be serious and not good. I will never forget the devastation that spread all over his face." She shuddered.

"Instead of coming back inside, my brother made a beeline for his car and drove off. I never saw him again, and that night, my mom relapsed." A single tear strolled down Essie's cheek, my instincts kicked in, and I immediately put my arm around her for comfort.

"I miss him a lot, Leah, just like I'm sure you miss the man you lost." I nodded my head slowly in agreement. "No wonder we get along so well; we're all so messed up." Essie laughed and I couldn't help it. I laughed, too.

"Two peas in a jacked up pod," I chuckled. "Thanks for sharing your story."

"Thanks for sharing yours," Essie smiled back. It's crazy how heartache and loss can bring people closer together.

**~XOXOXOX~**

Once we got back to La Push, I decided to get ready at my place. Essie, Abby, and Tiff would swing by and pick me up on the way to Joshua's.

By the way Abby's mouth gaped open when I answered my door, I could tell they weren't prepared for my ensemble.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, Leah Clearwater wears more than hoodies and funny T-Shirts. This was a special occasion, right? So I pulled out a pair of my dark skinny jeans, an awesome top, and some kickass heels.

"Wow, Leah!" Essie exclaimed, followed by a whistle. "You look amazing!"

"Thanks and so do you." Essie was looking hot in her black and pink striped skirt, a skin-tight black long sleeved shirt, leggings, and high heels. Embry was going to freak!

"Embry and Seth said we had to look our best tonight," I replied, walking over towards Tiff's car. "And usually, I would've just told him to kiss my ass, but since it's for you guys, I figured why the hell not?"

"Do you have any idea what this surprise is?" Abby asked me.

"I don't, actually. They thought I would blab if I was in the know...Assholes." I rolled my eyes. They knew me too well.

**~XOXOXOXOX~**

Tiff barely put the car in park before Embry was already opening Essie's door. Seth seemed just as anxious to get to Abby.

"Wow, you look amazing," Embry growled and couldn't take his eyes off Essie.

"Thanks," she giggled, stepping out of the car. I didn't miss the way Essie was checking him out. "You clean up real nice, too," she added just as my pack brother planted a kiss on her lips that showed her just how good she looked to him.

Thank the great spirits Embry's parents were here. I knew he would keep things G-Rated with them around. I was still trying to recover from their beach make-out escapade.

I was out of the car and ready to head inside, but my plans changed the moment I heard Embry yell, "Damn, Leah, you look...like a girl!"

"Thanks," I growled, "considering the fact that I do have a vagina." Dumbass.

"He just means you look pretty, sis," Seth helped Embry rephrase as he came around towards us, holding Abby's hand.

"Whatever." I tried to shrug indifferently, trying not to smile. What girl doesn't like being complimented? Even if it comes out a little off.

"And you look very nice, too, Abby," Embry told Essie's little sister.

"Thanks, Embry." She smiled back.

Embry then introduced Abby and Essie to his father.

"It's so great to finally meet you," his dad said, pulling away. "My son has been waiting for you to show up." Essie's nervous demeanor disappeared, as she grinned at Joshua.

"Should we go inside?" Abby finally asked after a few minutes.

I watched Embry look down at his watch. He gave Tiff a quick hug before she headed inside with Joshua.

"Let's just wait for a second. Your 'surprise' should be here soon," Seth suggested.

"It's not a car, is it? Because I love my Toyota, Embry." Essie sternly replied folding her arms across her chest. "And Abby can't drive."

"I'll teach you," I heard Seth whisper in his imprint's ear. Abby's eyes lit up as she smiled widely. Okay, I really gotta get out of here. All of this lovey-dovey imprint stuff can take a toll on a single she-wolf.

"No, it's better than that, and I would never replace your car unless you said it was okay," Embry assured Essie.

"Well, I'm going to head inside," I announced, turning around.

"Oh, Leah, please stay," Abby begged me. Damn it. She gives awesome puppy eyes, too? What the heck am I going to do now with _two_ people I can't say no to? I rolled my eyes once before giving in just as this silver Acura RDX pulled up behind Tiff's car. Slowly, the driver's side door swung open and Abby and Essie's 'surprise' stepped out.

My stomach was doing somersaults, my heart nearly jumped into my throat and I was finding it difficult to breathe. I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he was started walking towards us.

"Oh my god!" I heard Essie exclaim.

"Ricky!" Abby squealed, running full speed towards him.

Abby and Essie's Ricky.

My Rich.

They were the same.

I wanted to run away, but my body refused to move.

Rich caught Abby effortlessly in his arms. "Where have you been?" she sobbed hysterically.

"I'm so sorry I left you guys. I wasn't sure if y'all would want me after finding out about everything," he whispered with raw emotion. His voice sounded different. There was more pain in it. Pain I knew with the upmost certainty that I put there. Guilt washed over me like a massive wave and I instantly felt horrible.

"We'll always want you, Ricky, you're our big brother," Abby cried. "Don't you ever leave us again, okay?"

"I won't. I promise. Never again," he vowed, holding on to his little sister for dear life. At that moment, I wanted to be there in her place. It had been so long since I was in those arms, since I felt his body pressed against mine, and I longed for it even more now than I ever had throughout the years.

Everything felt like it was going in slow motion, but I still couldn't keep up.

"How did you...?" Essie sounded confused and stunned all at once, she couldn't even get her words out.

"My dad hired-" Embry couldn't reply. For a millisecond, I looked away from Rich just in time to see Essie kiss Embry with such passion and gratitude.

"Thank you!" she sobbed before racing over to her brother, joining her sister in their group hug.

Finally, his eyes met mine and gravity shifted. It felt like, within seconds, I had fallen in love with him all over again. But the love I had for him was multiplied – amplified a million times over. Rich was always handsome to me, but now he appeared flawlessly exquisite, and I felt my soul reaching out and connecting to his almost instantly.

Suddenly everything in my past made sense. The pull – the connection I always felt towards Rich before I had even phased, the turmoil I'd go through if I ever lost him, and my bond with Essie and Abby, and Tiff's words from earlier. Rich loved his sisters; it was the impeding imprint with Rich that made me care so immensely for them.

"Lee?" Rich was staring at me as if I weren't real, like a mirage, a hallucination that would disappear any minute now.

I imprinted on the man I always loved. The man I lost. The man I walked away from all those years ago, and I felt like the dumbest, cruelest person in the entire world.

And after all these years, I spoke the one word I refused to say out loud out of fear that I would fall apart.

"Richard."

**THERE YOU HAVE IT RICH AND LEAH REUNITED!**

**RICH POV COMING NEXT!**


End file.
